Transcendence
Set of 3 woodcuts, laser-cut birch plywood, ink on paper
22 x 30 inches, 2023
In this series, Hussain explores the metaphysical dimensions of Islamic prayer through abstracted printmaking compositions. Taking the prayer rug as both metaphor and material inspiration, these works investigate the liminal space between corporeal and divine experience. Through deliberately layered transparencies and infinite patterns, the prints evoke the transcendent moment when prayer moves from body to spirit. Borders within the compositions function as thresholds, while subtle color gradations and repeating motifs suggest the perpetual oscillation between visible and invisible realms. These works visualize the ineffable experience of existing simultaneously in multiple states of consciousness—a meditation on how faith transforms the mundane into the sacred.