Divine Creation Art Competition 2025- Mystic Illumination
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Date
2025-05-17
Authors
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Journal ISSN
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Publisher
School of Business
Abstract
This painting was created as a part of the AIU Divine Creation competition 2025, by Ebraheim Khalaf Ebrahim Alqallaf, who is majoring in Global Supply Chain Management. The artwork is entitled "Mystic Illumination".
Description
This painting is a beautifully symbolic composition that intertwines nature, humanity, and spirituality, creating a visual representation of life's profound mysteries. Inspired by Girl with a Pearl Earring, the artwork reimagines the iconic figure within a vast, stormy landscape, reinforcing the connection between human emotion and the elements of nature.
In my artwork, I incorporate the three essential elements of life, which represent the universe itself and the symbolic connection between humanity and nature, both creations of the Lord of the Universe.
I intentionally used only two colors in various shades: blue and brown, with yellowish tones. The stormy sky represents the girl’s emotions and experiences. The darker tones symbolize the turmoil of life's challenges and hardships. However, no matter how difficult life may be, God provides solutions, illuminating the path before us; we just need to look and recognize it. I have used two types of colors, acrylic paint for the girl only and the background I only used watercolors, The technique I used was wet the paper for the sky and used water colors and for the sea it was a little wet brush not too wet and for the sand, I used dryer brush.
The sea, in my imagination, symbolizes deeply hidden secrets, the things a person keeps only for themselves. That is why I chose to change the girl's eye color to blue. The eyes are the mirror of the soul, and in this painting, her gaze reflects a sense of being lost in her thoughts. Her slightly open mouth suggests a desire to reveal her deepest secrets, yet she is not ready to do so.
The land represents our origins and the place where we will return after death. As the saying goes, "From dust we came, and to dust we shall return." The colors of her clothing were chosen to blend subtly with the tones of the earth, reflecting how we use clothing for our comfort and satisfaction, but, ultimately, to cover ourselves just as we use the land for our benefit, only to be covered by it in the end.
There is a significant detail in the sky: on the darker side, you can see a stylized hand, its fingers appearing to hold the girl's head. This is the hand of God, giving her trials, but at the same time, protecting her and guiding her with His light, which is right in front of her eyes.
For the girl’s appearance, I used blue for her headscarf, just as the sky is above our heads. Her blue eyes hold a mysterious depth, much like the secrets of the sea. Her clothing, in brownish tones, mirrors the colors of the earth.
In essence, this painting represents a universe within a greater universe, all under God's watchful gaze (in the upper left corner) and his protective hand (on the right side of the sky)
Final Thoughts: This painting is a universe within a greater universe, where each element, sky, sea, and earth, interacts with the human experience under the ever-watchful eye of God. It is a meditation on life's journey, the challenges we endure, the mysteries we hold, and the divine guidance that is always present, even when we fail to see it.
Keywords
Divine Creation Art Competition 2025, Submission 11, Painting, School of Business, Mystic Illumination