Yelimane Fall
Ongoing
Centre Street Building, Level 4
Symphony of Sīn (س) from Lawh series by Yelimane Fall is on view in Across Asia: Arts of Asia and the Islamic World.
Senegalese artist Yelimane Fall invokes spiritual power by combining Arabic letters, imbued with baraka (blessing), with colors that are thought to have healing properties. This vibrant composition of letters is not a legible text, but rather is meant to be contemplated and interpreted by the viewer. Another layer of religious meaning is found in the shape of the artwork, which resembles an African Qurʾan board (lawh), like this one in the museum’s collection, which is used to write the word of God.
In addition to being a prolific artist, Fall was an activist, community organizer, and teacher in his native Senegal, a West African country whose population is over 95% Muslim.