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Friday, Nov. 06, 2009

A visit of Eastern lands through Mughal, Persian art

MARIPOSA -- Centuries ago in the Eastern hemisphere, Mughal and Persian art saw its greatest popularity from the 800s through the 1700s.

This was a time when skilled artisans, burgeoning creativity, wealth of capital and other advancements of the region produced artistry that was not only superb, but was much sought after by tradesmen from other countries.

Historically, the brilliant colors favored by the people of lands now known as Iran, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and parts of Afghanistan, were achieved by grinding precious metals and gems.

Mughal-Persian art will be on display at the Mariposa County Arts Council during November. A special lecture and reception will be at 3:30 p.m. Saturday. The artist whose work will be featured is Hajra Meeks.

Meeks was born in Pakistan and came to America with her parents when she was only a few months old.

From a young age she spent much time drawing and painting. Her family encouraged her creativity, but when it came time to decide on a college major, she chose physics for its prospective job security.

Once she received her bachelor of science degree, her parents then gave their blessing for her to pursue other interests.

While working on her master's degree at the London School of Economics, her international history major blended together well with her creativity in art and writing, increasing her understanding of her Islamic heritage.

Meeks wrote her master's thesis on the American views of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan. It was awarded the Mark of Distinction -- the highest possible ranking in the British education system.

"The LSE faculty told me that no one from a physics background had attempted the international history degree, and my disparate academic background intrigued them," Meeks says.

For the past four years, Meeks has taught international history at UC Merced, focusing mainly on Middle Eastern history and decolonization.

Although her practical studies have been in more empirical fields, her true love has always been art. Using a variety of media, she draws, paints and does calligraphy. Flowers, animals, people and exotic motifs are her typical subjects.

"Persian and Mughal artists have influenced my work, and also early 20th century American and European illustrators," Meeks says. "My favorite was the inspirational Edmund Dulac, whose father was a tradesman, giving him an insider's eye on the Middle Eastern culture; he went on to create some of the most captivating scenes in numerous books."

Being from Pakistan but growing up in America, Meeks feels that being raised with both cultures was a benefit, giving her more types of food to eat, more styles of clothing to wear and more than one language to speak. It was the America that she grew up in and came to love.

As a Muslim-American artist Meeks hopes the exhibit will promote appreciation of the artistic beauty and skill found in other cultures, encouraging better understanding and better relations between the East and the West.