Saudi Artist in London, Islamic Illumination, Esra Alhamal

Islamic Illumination is an educational and inspirational about patterns inspired from nature (known as biomorph, arabesque, rumi, islimi, khatei and nabati) and the illumination painting style.

I am Dr. Esra Alhamal, the founder of this website and I have been studying Islamic biomorphic patterns and the classical illumination painting style for a number of years. I am a multi-hyphenate creative, educator, podcaster on Art Illuminated and the co-founder of Bristle and Brush, artist grade watercolours.

I completed a PhD in the University of East London in 2022 and my thesis is dedicated to Islamic biomorphic patterns “Examining Safavid Biomorphic Patterns in Design”, which is the same specialty that I teach in-person and online.

My artwork has been exhibited in the UK, Saudi, Bahrain and Oman. My work is a mixture of traditional methods and a contemporary experimental approach. 


فن التذهيب الإسلامي موقع تعليمي مؤسس من قبل الدكتورة إسراء الهمل وهي فنانة سعودية في لندن 

إسراء لديها بكالوريس فنون في التصميم الداخلي من جامعة في مانشستر ببريطانيا وماجستير فنون في العمارة الداخلية من جامعة بلندن و دكتوراة من جامعة شرق لندن تبحث الأنماط والزخارف الإسلامية النباتية

بدأ شغف إسراء بالفنون الإسلامية والزخارف بشكل خاص في مرحلة الماجستير ووجدها في لندن ساعدها في إيجاد مدارس لتعليم هذه الفنون. فقد حصلت على دبلوم مفتوح من مدرسة الأمير تشارلز للفنون التقليدية 

يُعد تطبيق الفن التقليدي في مجال التذهيب من الأمور المحبذة لإسراء ولكنها تحب التجارب الفنية التي تتضمن استكشاف أسطح فنية مختلفة 

تستند الأنماط التي ترسمها على الشبكات والقواعد الهندسية. في أعمالها المُذهبة تستخدم ورق الشاي الملون والمعالج بالإضافة إلى  الذهب الحقيقي 22-23 قيراط والألوان الطبيعية المصنوعة يدوياً أو الغواش الجاهز عالي الجودة. تستغرق رسمة واحدة من أعمالها أسبوعًا حتى تكتمل ؛ بمعدل 10 إلى 20 ساعة من العمل


Workshops دروس مُقدمة من قبل إسراء

  • Cass Art Islington Monthly Workshops - March - May, 2018 - present (Join a workshop)

  • Leighton House Museum, Islamic Art series, July 2022.

  • SEGA team-building workshops, 2020 and 2021.

  • Misk Foundation workshop during the design week, 2021

  • Desert Designs Gallery - Khobar Saudi Arabia - May 2019

  • Ithra Museum - Khobar, Saudi Arabia - January 2019

  • Cass Art Kingston Monthly Workshops - March, 2018 - 2019

  • Re-Connecting Art Islamic Illumination Workshop - August, 2017

  • SOAS Islamic Illumination Workshop - March, 2017

  • Re-Connecting Art Islamic Illumination Workshop - December, 2016

  • Re-Connecting Art Islamic Illumination Workshop - November, 2016

If you would like to host Esra to teach at your university or art gallery, please get in touch with her via the contact page


Exhibition معارض شاركت فيها إسراء

  • Carpet Pages II: Roots at Art Pavilion, London, UK, October 2019.

  • Manifesting the Unseen at Guest Projects, London, UK, November-December 2018.

  • In Dreams Exhibition at Menier Gallery, London, UK, September 2017.

  • Transition Exhibition with Reconnecting Art in Menier Gallery, London, August 2017.

  • Constructing Nature collaborative exhibition in Nolia's Gallery, London, UK. September 2016. 

  • Reinterpreting Contemporary Middle Eastern artists collaborative exhibition in Bahrain. April 2016. 

  • Reinterpreting Contemporary Middle Eastern artists collaborative exhibition in Muscat, Oman. January 2016. 

  • Reinterpreting Contemporary Middle Eastern artists collaborative exhibition in Jeddah, Saudi 2015. 

  • Reinterpreting Contemporary Middle Eastern artists collaborative exhibition in Desert Design in Khobar, Saudi 2015.

If you would like to commission a painting, please get in touch with Esra via the contact page


A selection of Esra’s artwork أمثلة مختارة من أعمال إسراء الفنية

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