Broug Ateliers for Islamic Art & Architecture-About Us

About

Broug Ateliers was established in 2004 to create a commercial outlet for my geometrical designs. I provide a range of products and services inspired by Islamic geometrical design. My aim is to present this design tradition in a contemporary light and to make Islamic art affordable to a large audience.

I have been studying islamic geometry for over fifteen years, initially in Amsterdam, Holland. By using all the books I could find on the subject I taught myself the principles of geometrical design and exhibited my work as often as I could.

I moved to the United Kingdom in 2000 in order to receive professional training in Islamic geometrical design at the VITA(Visual Islamic & Traditional Arts) course at the Prince's Foundation in London. I completed my MA in the History of Islamic Architecture at SOAS (School of Oriental and African Studies), also in London. At SOAS I specialized in the history of Mamluk architecture in Cairo, and in the history of muqarnas. I received a British Museum scholarship award in recognition of my research.

My passion for Islamic architecture and geometry is in equal parts academic and artistic. I am fascinated by the context in which Islamic geometric design was made. Who were the craftsmen? What was their position in society, were they numerate, were the literate? Similarly it is interesting to delve into the possible reasons for the stylistic preferences in geometrical design that are apparent in the Islamic world. The artistic traditions in the field of geometry are different when you compare, for example, Iran with North Africa or Egypt. Having a knowledge of the historical context of the geometrical design has improved my artistic output. Conversely, because of my experience in the creative aspect of geometrical designs, I am able to better appreciate the skills of these Islamic craftsmen through the ages.

In the last two years I have started to share some of my acquired skills and knowledge through special introductory courses in geometrical design. I teach students how to create traditional designs, as well as provide a bit of history on the Islamic design tradition. The technique I have developed for teaching this subject was motivated by the fact that the existing books make geometrical design more complex than necessary. Historical sources showed that the craftsmen -designers were not mathematicians, so why should an aspiring student of geometric design be one? My practical and non-complex approach to teaching geometry has culminated in a book on the subject was published in December 2006 in Holland.

To get in touch with me, call me on (UK) 07814 984805 or send an e-mail to info@broug.com

In the Media


Emel Magazine December 2005 Muslim Lifestyle Magazine	idFX March 2005 Magazine for Design Professionals	Haj & Umrah June 2006 Monthly magazine published by Saudi Ministry of Haj	Wallpaper* Magazine April 2007 International Design & Lifestyle Magazine	CrescentLife Magazine April 2007 Muslim Lifestyle Magazine