Commercial
KUFIC MAZE SPONSORED BY SONY PLAYSTATION
Soraya Syed and Mukhtar Sanders 2005
6 colour screen-print in Kufic angular script on wood
90cm x 68.5cm x 5cm
The Kufic Maze was sponsored by Sony Playstation to coincide with the launch of their handheld lifestyle device the PSP. The piece was i nspired by a trip to Iran where Kufic inscriptions adorn the walls of stunning architectural masterpieces. From a distance, the walls of calligraphic brickwork resemble computer chipboards and pixels. On closer scrutiny, the encoded messages hidden in geometric blocks become readable and meaningful. The Kufic Maze is intended to capture the interactive element of a game as well as play on the direct visual connection between the graphics of a maze and the Kufic script.
The Kufic Maze is entered through the word ' raghba ', meaning desire in Arabic. The shortest pathway through the maze, makes-up the Arabic word 'jamal ' meaning beauty while the exit is made through the word ' hurriya ' meaning freedom. For the exhibition, the maze was represented by a screen-printed wood panel.