Samira Mian
Get in touch for commissions
Geometer, Artist & Educator
Sharing my passion for Islamic Geometric Patterns:
This Month's Islamic Geometric Pattern:
Learn online monthly by sunscribing to my PATREON
Buy Tutorial Packs for patterns from the Pattern Archive of 2021 and 2022
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January 2025
Welcome to my website, a hub of all things Islamic Geometry!
See what I've been up to in my NEWS section or join me in-person or online:
Regular monthly In-person workshops in the UK
This month, my monthly workshops resume at Harrow Arts Centre, Cass Art Kingston & OPEN Ealing All three of my venues 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.
Upcoming In-person & online workshops
This Autumn I'll be doing an ONLINE workshop at the V&A in November on Sixfold Jaalis!
Affordable & free ONLINE learning
I regularly teach LIVE online monthly via my Patreon ( basically a monthly subscription to me!) 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 5% off!
IGP101 is back!
A free 60min monthly Zoom for all members - free and paid - to help you get started and continue your journey into this wonderful world of patterns. As a Patreon Member, you get to join the IGP101 Zoom live and have early access to the recording before it published on my YouTube channel for all to enjoy. Each of these IGP101 zooms will be a stand-alone session, a mix of proper practical help and guidance, structured enough for you to know what to expect each session but also with enough flexibility to allow it to grow and evolve as you and I continue through the year. All wrapped up in a relaxed, friendly and fun setting.
I've been teaching monthly on Patreon since 2021, so the archive is huge - 46 patterns so far! If you want to learn previous months, you can buy the Tutorial packs from the 2021 Patreon Pattern Archive. Patterns from 2022, 2023 and 2024 coming soon!
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 also 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 touch. You 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
Beginners welcome, let me be your guide!
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If you've ever wanted to explore the beauty of Islamic geometric patterns but felt unsure where to begin, let me be your guide!
IGP 101: Getting Started with Islamic Geometric Patterns
My aim is to make you feel welcome and equipped—both mentally and practically—to navigate the fascinating world of geometric patterns without feeling overwhelmed by its vastness. With solid foundations, you can dabble confidently and enjoy the creative journey.
Each month, I host a free 60-minute Zoom session. As a Patreon member, you’ll have access to join these live sessions and enjoy early access to the recordings before they’re shared publicly on my YouTube channel.
Every IGP 101 session is designed to stand alone, offering practical guidance and structured content to help you learn and grow. At the same time, the sessions remain flexible, evolving with you as we progress through the year. All of this takes place in a relaxed, friendly, and fun environment.
Let’s dive into the world of patterns together—one step at a time!
News
Just returned from the opening of the School of Calligraphy and Ornamentation's inaugural exhibition:
Inspired From Manuscripts
Al Taif Mall, Fujairah, UAE
10 Sep till 21 Oct 2024
@socofujairah.ae
Do check it out, it's only an hour or so from Dubai and there are such stunning works by so many wonderful artists, a feast of Calligraphy, Miniature and Ornamentation.
And of course, Geometry, which is where I was exhibiting along with the brilliant and talented @rajen.astho @mostafa.sdky @sara.choudry and @@ambigraph
My Geometry in contemporary watercolour pieces have symmetry within symmetry in their display:
8 - 12 - 12&8 -12 - 8
They are a mix of old and new pieces but ones I really love. So happy to see them framed and exhibited and I would be even happier to see them go to new homes inshaAllah!
Mighty gratitude to Dr Esra Alhamal @islamicillumination General Director of SOCO and her superb team.
Team SOCO, you are amazing!!
Your organisation, warmth, hard work, dilligence & resilience in pulling off this huge undertaking in such a short time was brilliant! I'm so proud of you all.
I'm especially and immensely proud of my pal Esra. You work so hard, relentlessly. And I love how you go out of your way to elevate and celebrate artists & creatives, you rise up and take so many with you!!
Finally Gratitude to the patron of the School, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Hamad Al Sharqi, Crown Prince of Fujairah.
To invest in elevating, preserving and celebrating these artforms and the people who practise it is so valuable for us as muslims now and in the future.
(SEPTEMBER 2024)
I'm teaching at Workshop Week this June. If like me, you somehow missed Workshop Week last year, you’re NOT gonna wanna miss it this year! It is a giant online art event happening 3-7 June and I'm so excited to be part of it this year! You can find everything you need here but here’s the need-to-know:
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40+ art workshops
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In lettering, painting, journaling, drawing, and sooo much more
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5 days– a new workshop airing every hour!
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Your favorite artists, all in one place
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IT’S FREE!
(JUNE 2024)
So very honoured to have my artwork on the score of the @orchestralqawwaliproject at the @royalalberthall on Monday. Alhumdolillah
Thank you to @rushilmusic for letting this fan get involved and along with the amazing team at the Royal Albert Hall who made *me* feel like such a star! In my mind (and outloud), i was like no no no, I'm the fan! It blows my mind that the conductor, the musicians, singers and staff all had their hands on it....i hope they liked it too!!
(MAY 2024)