CONCEPT :

This piece was inspired by a dear friend who is a very famous Afghan Rubab player.

The Rubab is one of the national instruments of Afghanistan and is frequently mentioned in Persian and Sufi poetry. Rumi, the famous poet, also wrote many verses on love, musical instruments and how music is the way to connect to the divine.

The Rubab has a special significance in Sikhism as well, being the first instrument used by the Guru (teacher). Along with a Persian friend, I searched for the right verse for my artwork. I wanted to present the complete piece as a birthday gift to my aforementioned friend, the Afghani Rubab player. I came across the verse below, by Saeb Tabrizi, with the help of a renowned Afghan poet and Rumi scholar. I was pleasantly surprised to find that Saeb Tabrizi also wrote ghazals,
which are famous throughout South Asia and sung in the classical tradition. And this fit well with my birthday gift plans, as my friend sings classical music along with playing the Rubab.
This verse is in Persian (Farsi) and attributed to the 16th C Persian poet Saeb Tabrizi who wrote in “Indian style” and traces his ancestry to Shams Tabrizi, Rumi's spiritual instructor.
This verse is promoting peace as opposed to destruction.

”That disobedient Palm (tree) that turned into an axe was not one of us, when the destiny breaks us we turn into a “Rubab”.

Read right to left, the verse is drawn in “stylized script” around the body and the full verse is written in the middle. I added “Jimikis,” which are a traditional jewelry shape of South India on the tassel.

My Rubab artwork is a cross-cultural partnership of Persian, Afghan, and Indian traditions.

Print Details:

• Museum-quality prints made on thick and durable matte paper
• Paper thickness: 10.3 mil
• Paper weight: 5.57 oz/y² (189 g/m²)
• Giclée printing quality
• Opacity: 94%

All prints are signed by the artist.

©2019 Sangeetha Kowsik