Samira Mian
Get in touch for commissions
If you enjoy my resources, donation of any amount welcome to help sustain my work!
September 2021
Here in the UK, we are resuming "normal" life, which for me means in-person workshops at Harrow Arts Centre, Cass Art Manchester & Cass Art Kingston this summer/autumn!
For those of you elsewhere in the world, I hope my many free or inexpenseive resources draw you into this intriguing world of Islamic Geometric Patterns:
I offer many free resources & links: A variety of tutorials on YouTube, with a series on Five & Tenfold Patterns and Twelvefold patterns, resources suitable for Kids & beginners, book reviews, equipment & materials recommendations and links to many free resources online from other talented geometers & artists.
As of August 2020, I started a creator page on Patreon. This is an exclusive members only platform where you become a patron to support me and my work for a monthly membership fee ranging from $4 to $50 with a range of benefits at each tier. In 2021, we draw a different pattern each month in our monthly zooms with recordings available for anyone who can't join live. Your monthly fee is taken when you join and then the first of each month thereafter. There's no obligation, you can opt out whenever you wish.
I created two affordable & practical recorded online courses where 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 Esra Alhamal and I have been teaching together online, these are now available as Recorded courses with PDFs: Virtual tour of Uzbekistan and our previous course Elements of Mamluk Manuscripts
Finally I also offer live video tuition, one to one or for small groups of up to 4 participants via Zoom as well as in person workshops 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 bespoke to your needs.
All the best from,
Samira
London, England, UK
News
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)