Safe Haven
Artist: Sabrina Miah
Over the last couple of years, due to the action of extremists, Islam as a religion has been highly misunderstood. People all over the world have been forced to leave their homes and seek refuge elsewhere, others have lost their lives.
Growing up, I was raised to respect people no matter what their race or religion.
This project gave the opportunity to create something (very personal) to show what is sacred to me. The Masjid (Mosque).
I was greatly inspired by Linda Connor’s work on ‘Sacred Places’. I admired the ‘Hagia Sofia, Istanbul’ image for variety of reasons; one being how wide the image was, showing the unique architectural features. It is also the very first mosque I had visited outside of the United Kingdom. Another image I found so extraordinary was the ‘Muhammed Ali Mosque, Cairo’ as the way in which the lights were captured, it created a somewhat peaceful atmosphere for me. This is due to Connor’s skills of strong composition and capturing the photograph in a perfect exposure.
I decided for my project, I wanted to documentone of the most beautiful and welcoming mosques in Singapore, known as The Sultan Mosque. Rather than just creating images, I wanted to step out my comfort zone by showing the interior of this sacred place in the form of a box. By doing this, I hope to create a sense of peace and calmness to my audience; something I feel when I step into this ‘Safe Haven.’
Process of final project:
Taking on board the advice I had received from my mid-term project, I was determined to make my final extraordinary.
As my speciality is photography, I knew from day one I was going to stick with image making, however I had experimented with different mediums: digital and large format camera. I initially wanted to produce film images, however I really wanted to step out of my comfort zone. Therefore I decided I should produce something artistic; an open A3 sized mosque.
I had made the box using only mount boards and superglue. My original idea was to only show the interior of The Sultan Mosque, however I wanted my audience to experience the whole place. I placed an A2 dome just above and in line with the box, in order to create a 3-D effect.
One of the many advice I had received from my mid-term is to make my final more humanised. I placed a photograph (on each stool) of a muslim woman staging a prayer on top of the ADM and also wrote what it represented to me and many others: worship, calm and peace. I specifically chose to shoot on the rooftop as I wanted the image to look atmospheric and convey that prayer can be performed anywhere in the world. The LED candles was a way to portray a calm and peaceful vibe.
In conclusion, I hope in the future I will receive the opportunity to expand on this particular documentary project as it is a personal topic for me that I want to share with the world. I aspire to curate my own exhibition/show one day to share my ‘Safe Haven’.
