Peace and Prosperity
Set of 2 woodcuts, laser-cut birch plywood, ink on paper
15 x 12 inches, 2022
“Planning before work protects you from regret; prosperity and peace” - Arab proverb
Hussain's latest series draws inspiration from a significant piece of Islamic material culture: a 10th-century Samanid bowl from northeastern Iran's Khurasan province, encountered during her internship at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The original vessel, with its elegant "new-style" Arabic script painted in brown on white slip, represents a pinnacle of early Islamic ceramic artistry. Hussain reinterprets this historical calligraphic tradition through contemporary printmaking processes, translating the bowl's sophisticated inscription—a hadith transmitted by 'Ali cautioning against impetuous actions—into layered compositions. Her prints honor the original artisans' mastery of medium-specific techniques while creating a dialogue between past and present. By employing multiple layers of transparency and carefully controlled pigmentation, Hussain echoes the Samanid potters' innovative use of slip to achieve clarity and distinction in their designs, while transforming their ancient wisdom into a contemporary meditation on restraint and reflection.