Nun, By the Pen

2008
Celi sülüs script. Black soot ink and gold on paper. 47 x 51.5 cm. Surah Al Qalam (The Pen), Quran 68:1. The letter ‘nun’ symbolizes the arch that floats on the waters, and the point in its interior represents the seed it contains. It is a symbol of resurrection, and of the transition to a new state. The letter ‘nun’ symbolizes also the whale and it is connected in this sense with the Prophet Jonah (Yunus), who is reborn spiritually after his sojourn in the whale’s belly.