KRISTY RAMNARINE
Kristy.ramnarine@cnc3.co.tt
Nimah Muwakil-Zakuri has an obsession with circles. However, the self-taught artist is unsure of its actual beginnings.
“I do remember in my 20s being fascinated with the psychologist Carl Jung, he theorised that the circle was representative of man’s psyche or even his soul and that in art, architecture, and spiritual practices, the circle is used as a way to represent wholeness, harmony, and balance,” she says.
“The process of creating circles or mandalas filled with intricate patterns is also a highly meditative process for me, which is one of the most fulfilling parts of my existence. I wish everyone could feel this.”
During the month of Ramadan, the artist is working on a new piece, which entails 30 small circles, one for each day of fasting.
“On each circle, I write a prayer or a dua from the Qur’an and I am using patterns inspired by Palestinian embroidery (Tatreez) on each circle,” she says.
“When all 30 circles are eventually brought together, they will form the map of Palestine. The piece is dedicated to the people of Palestine, their resilience, and their resistance.
“I strongly believe that it is my duty as a human and an artist to use whatever talent has been given to me by God to speak out against what is happening to not only my fellow brothers and sisters in faith, but most importantly, my fellow human beings.”
Muwakil-Zakuri’s creative passion started at a very young age.
“Ever since I was growing up, I had a keen interest in anything artistic and creative. Most children do, I believe,” she says.
“But something happens, and we are either discouraged by those around us or channelled into a different path. In my case, I was encouraged by my parents and grandparents to pursue my creative endeavours, and I am forever grateful for that.”
She credits the creativity and innovation of her mother and the deceased as well. “There are many instances I recall as a child of my parents doing crafts and making things to sell to ‘make ends meet’,” she says.
“My mother currently has a brand of children’s clothing and also makes various beautiful and unique objects and accessories out of discarded or recycled materials for resale. My father, who is no longer in this world, used to do macramé, paintings, and drawings, and he made dry flower arrangements from the most unusual of materials, such as dried orange peels.”
The senior curator at the Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago oversees the operations of the bank’s museum and public art collection.
“I formally trained in art history and museology in Santiago de Cuba, Cuba,” she says.
“I have not formally trained as an artist, I would be considered self-taught. I have been working in the museums locally since 2007. In terms of my art practice, I restarted seriously in 2016 after a life-changing experience. It was my way of coming home to myself and finding healing.”
The curator believes artists have always played an important role in T&T.
“In guiding the way we see the world and our place in it,” she says
“It has been a carving out of our collective colonial histories and traumas in order to continually move towards a society that not only represents us in the deepest ways but forces us to look at those representations and make the necessary changes and adjustments that will allow all of us to live here in peace.
“This is not just how I see art, but this is my hope for art in this place we call home. Artists who do this necessary work need to be protected and supported at all costs.”
Muwakil-Zakuri’s work can be found on Instagram @art.by.the.river.
Her work will be on display at the Islamic Artists Collective’s (IAC) second group show in August. The IAC’s inaugural exhibition was held in July 2023. The IAC can be found on Instagram at @islamicartists.collective
