Invisible masters

Résumé du livre

The Invisible Masters is a long-term project that treats of the lives and legacies of fourteen great mystics of Islam. It traces the historical development of the world of Islam, from the western fringes of Andalusia to the eastern outposts of the Levant. Drawing together threads in the lives of such great Sufi masters as Rûmî, Hafez and Ibn el-Arabi, I want to show that, contrary to contemporary perceptions of crisis and violence, the world of Islam has another side, evident in the tolerant and sophisticated writings of these great Muslim thinkers and poets.

Whilst these fourteen « Masters » are no longer present, I want to show how they bequeathed to succeeding generations the crucial message of Tolerance towards one another. This teaching is as relevant today as when it was first formulated. It is said, in Islam, that one cannot be a true Muslim without revering both Moses and Jesus, who preceded Mohamed, the Prophet of Islam.

Having lived in France for over forty years I am aware of how my experience has been shaped by things I've learnt here. It's an ongoing exchange. Part of my function as an artist is to question and to stimulate responses, so that both sides of the dialogue are represented. I offer both what I have been and who I have become, as I integrate myself into this place - and my art speaks almost exclusively of that ongoing collaborative exchange.