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This Month's Islamic Geometric Pattern:

Sharing my passion for Islamic Geometric Patterns:

Geometer, Artist & Educator

April 2024

Welcome to my website, hub of all things Islamic Geometry!

See what I've been up to in my NEWS section  or join me in-person or online:

SPRING SALE for my online recorded courses! Valid until 23rd April 2024

Regular monthly In-person workshops in the UK

This month, I'm taking a break from my monthly workshops at Harrow Arts Centre,Cass Art Kingston & OPEN Ealing but they will continue as normal from April or May. All three of my venues will now host 3 hour drawing & painting workshops. The same pattern being taught at each venue each month. I love my workshops, teaching in-person is something I benefit from hugely and enjoy so very much with the lovely mix of beginners and regulars. It's the complete teaching/learning feedback loop that is the oxygen I run on.  

Affordable & free ONLINE learning

I regularly teach LIVE online monthly via my  creator page on Patreon, it's a beautiful international online community, one of the best aspects of my work! You can see how it works and what I've previously taught here  and you can join for as little as US $4 a month: Learn to draw a new pattern each month, attend 2 Zooms + their recording + a step by step PDF guide. If you enroll on an annual membership you get 10% off! 

There is a massive 36 pattern archive that is now available in its own right for US $60, under the Phthalo Green Tier membership, the idea is, join for a month, download all the resources for 36 patterns, join in the current month's activities and if you like what you see stay for another month or two... I recommend you downgrade to one of the more affordable tiers!

If you want to try out something FREE, you can get started here to access the many resources to keep you dabbling in this intriguing world of Islamic Geometric Patterns wherever you are in the world, whatever your budget. I offer many free resources & links:

50 + Tutorials on YouTube, with a series on Five & Tenfold Patterns and Twelvefold patterns,  as well as  resources suitable for Kids & beginners, book reviews, equipment & materials recommendations and links to many free resources online from other talented geometers & artists too.

I created two affordable & practical recorded online courses on Udemy, you can view video demonstrations along with accessing step by step PDFs to enable you to draw, trace, tile, transfer and paint Islamic Geometric Patterns.

My good friend Dr Esra Alhamal and I have taught together online, these are now available as recorded courses with PDFs: Virtual tour of Uzbekistan  and our previous course Elements of Mamluk Manuscripts 

BESPOKE private, small group, school, univeristy or workplace in-person and online workshops, talks & tuition

This is the broadest of categories and the types of events I've been delivering seem to be getting more and more diverse, from corporate & co-living spaces to schools and universities and friendship groups and family occasions - both in person & online.

 

Such a fun way to bring creativity into so many different worlds. So if it's something you'd like to do for adults or children please get in touchYou can see some of what I've done previously here.  I also offer live video tuition via Zoom as well as in person workshops in my studio for those in and around London as well as internationally. For either, we can schedule sessions and cover topics, techniques and patterns from the world of Islamic Geometric Patterns & Design and beyond - bespoke to your needs.

All the best from,

Samira

London, England, UK

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Give the Gift of Creativity to a loved one - a workshop, private tuition, online or in person, a note book or creativity kit!

Feel free to message me to discuss or choose an option for your Creativity Gift Card on www.samiramian.uk/merch

Order your "Perfect for Geometry" square notebook for delivery at a workshop or UK or International delivery

 

See details on www.samiramian.uk/merch

Order your creative kit complete for delivery at workshop or UK or International delivery

 

See details on www.samiramian.uk/merch

NEWS

News

Samira Mian x Porsche ME

My first brand Collaboration! Officially, I'm the Artist for the 2024 Porsche Ramadan campaign.

I produced a range of art that will be used for Ramadan and Eid by Porsche across the Middle East  in their social media, showrooms, advertising, and billboard too!

Here are a few shots from the 100s of videos and photos we took at the very cool @drvn.ae by Porsche on Bluewaters Island in Dubai.  Looking at each piece, I of course knew what I had done, but woah what the team went on to do with the original art work... the sheer number and quality... superb! There have been a lot of folk involved in this and all without exception, friendly, caring, talented, professional and fun. I have felt so valued!

I tell you teamwork does make the dream work. I'm eternally grateful that they chose my dream to come true... a dream way beyond my imagination.

Alhumdolillah always!

(MAR 2024)

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My artwork is now installed up on a public building - my local library, Northolt Library!

Mighty thank yous to Molly and @_newpractice and Mariam and @ealingcouncil for more than a year of working behind the scenes culminating in it finally going up in September courtesy of @Omnicolour.  It really is a dream come true for me.

Also so chuffed for my fellow artists and friends @lazfarart   @pridetca and Jane who have been part of this Visions for Northolt Project, can't wait to do an art stops tour of Northolt and so much more... here's to this being the start of something that will beautify our surrounding and connect and benefit our community!

(SEP 2023)

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I was chuffed to be a voice on 'Perspectives on the Arab Hall' exploring six individual viewpoints from a diverse pool of voices with connections to the iconic space - the Arab Hall in Leighton House: 
@samira.mian – geometer, artist and educator
Souad Mohamad – community group leader, Al Manaar Muslim Cultural Heritage Centre
@lexymorvaridi – artist, musician and curator
Dr Melanie Gibson – historian and editor of Gingko Art Series
@nagihanseymour – ceramic and tezhip artist and
educator
Dr Usama Hasan – Imam

 

(JUN 2023)

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Excited to be part of another Bayt Al Fann endeavour, taking part in an online discussion about Islamic Pattern and Sacred Geometry. Join us!

(Jun 2023)

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An early morning chat with William Crawley and poet Taher Adel 

on BBC Radio 4's Sunday programme. 

I was a bit bleary eyed, sleepy and still congested from my cold.. so not my most coherent interview, but still worthy of a lil listen. Was good to squeeze in what we were there to talk about the digital festival by www.baytalfann.com

 

Again was super cool hearing my surname, (silent N on Mian) being pronounced correctly on BBC Radio 4 on the Sunday programme... little things make a big difference! 

(NOV 2022)

27 Nov 2022Sunday BBC Radio 4
00:00 / 11:17
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Excited to be part of The Bayt Al Fann Islamic Art & Culture Digital Festival, 28 & 29 November, a virtual global gathering, with performances, online exhibitions and conversations! Join us!

(Nov 2022)

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Six Beginners' online classes with Imran Khan Cancer Appeal. Starts Saturday 1st October, 11 to 12pm (UK), continues on 8, 15 and 29 October and 5 and 12 November.

A step by step PDF and zoom recording will be provided for participants.
The classes are £10 each or £50 for all 6 classes. Please do sign up as we would love to help raise lots of funds for the great work they do at Shaukat Khanum Cancer Hospital in treating cancer patients in Pakistan: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/islamic-art-class-with-samira-mian-six-online-classes-tickets-228967396647
Please do share with friends and family!

 

 

(OCT 2022)

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Is there an Islamic arts revival? N.A. Mansour tries to muddle that & the definition of Islamic art in this piece.

 

(APR 2022)

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My recollection of recording this conversation - Esra powering on through with kindness & humour whilst I was sniffly, moody and hungry… all before 9am! Luckily, this the first episode of Season 4 came out well.... good job Esra and @artilluminatedpod

 

In this episode we chat about how we met, our lives in art, self taught vs self study, pricing artwork and of course lots of jokes and the compulsory mention of food!

Listen on www.islamicillumination.com/podcast or Spotify or Apple

 

(FEB 2022)

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I recorded an interview with Gillian Turnham for her Beauty, Goodness, Truth podcast for her broadcast residency with the Community Radio Fund of Canada and Trent Radio in Peterborough Ontario Canada.

 

Her aim was to produce a 6-part radio series and podcast on Islamic Art in today's world.

In the series she speaks to 

@adamwilliamsonart@ambigraph , 

@emanhijazi , @barchilonceramics , and @samira.mian about the nature and context of Islamic art in the world today, and about the various questions pertinent to the subject today.

FEB 2022)

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A new platform for all interested in the Islamic Arts to learn, share and connect. Launched with a wesbite full of content! Including an interview with me

(NOVEMBER 2021)

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It was lovely to be Interview for Turkey's "Digital" Culture and Art Newspaper Litros Art by Ismail Kaplan: 

Link to the article in Turkish & English

(JUNE 2021)

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Looking forward to attending & speaking at the annual ATM Conference, postponed from last year and now virtual. 90 sessions to join or watch later if it clashes with another Choice. It's an amazing opportunity for international colleagues to gain access to the full 3 days from just £50 ( students) or £100 (non members). See the programme and full details of plenaries, sessions & speakers via atm.org.uk/2021-Conference

or tapping/clicking the image.

(APR 2021)

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Maths & Art, a fascinating combination I discussed with Journalist Vishva Samani when she visited my studio in March. Her piece got an outing on BBC Asian Network social media on Facebook & Instagram. I was also invited on  for a short discussion on the Big Debate on BBC Asian Network.

The cherry on the cake was hearing Edward Stourton pronounce my name correctly as he introduced the piece on BBC Radio 4 on the Sunday programme - listen to it below:

(MAR 2021)

on BBC Radio 4 Sunday ProgrammeMaths & Art
00:00 / 02:41

A recent interview with art 'n fann

I really enjoyed chattering away with Allayth, I think he asked me some great questions and well I do like to talk!

(MAR 2021)

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A recent short interview with www.scriptsnscribes.com

Notice in the interview how I get slightly ratty when these patterns are some how not included in mathematics!

(FEB 2021)

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I finally made it on to Esra Al Hamal's Podcast, Art Illuminated Podcast, her second season of an art and craft dedicated show about contemporary arts and crafts inspired by traditional practice #ArtIlluminatedPod.We had such a laugh chatting away,except near the end when I was so hungry and Esra asked me hard questions!

Listen on www.islamicillumination.com/podcast or Spotify or Apple

 

(SEPT 2020)

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Having not written anything long form in 20 years, writing for a special edition of the Journal of the Assosciation of Teachers of Mathematics was an epic task, so I diligently dove in full concentration to write a way too long article! Read Part 1of A former mathematics teacher's insight into Islamic Geometric Patterns

(SEPT 2020)

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I was honoured to have my artwork on the cover of Chalkdust magazine,the first time and hopefully not he last time! I also contributed a step by step guide to drawing the front cover pattern: 21 simple steps to draw your own Islamic pattern!.

 

Emily May wrote an excellent article: to accompmay the cover art work: Islamic Geomertry Explaining the mathematics of tiling, and the cover of Issue 10

(DECEMBER 2019)

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Early on in Artist/Educator endeavours, I had a visit to OPEN Ealing from Buzzfeed. Looking back I realise it was pretty cool to have a reporter and photographer visit me! I especially loved having professional photos sorted so early on! Thanks to Laura Gallant. Here's what Aisha Gani wrote: People Are Obsessed With Islamic Art And The Patterns Are Flawless 

(SEPT 2016)

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