A Cornerstone Moment -Solo Exhibition at USM

 A Cornerstone Moment -Solo Exhibition at USM

It’s raining outside. The clock says 1 p.m.

I’ve just returned from the USM Gallery, where a few determined assistants were trying to motivate themselves into hanging up my works. The pieces were scattered all over the floor—most already sorted and marked for the various walls. There’s a lot of room to cover, and my works—mostly tiny sketches and prints—present a unique curatorial challenge. They’re doing their best to figure out how to present this potpourri of years of artistic creation.

It’s the fasting month, and it’s a Saturday. Most of the staff are either officially off or simply absent. One can’t expect too much enthusiasm under these conditions. So I left them to their task and took some time out for reflection—while getting this blog entry down, as always.

It looks like every scrap of paper with a sketch on it will find a place on the gallery walls. All my sketchbooks, from the first to the present, will be put on display—open for public scrutiny. My life, laid bare. My thoughts, my imaginations, my trials and tribulations, my hopes and fears, my family’s story—everything will be open for discussion once the show opens.

Am I ready for this?
What am I hoping to accomplish?
What am I hoping to gain?

Publicity? Monetary compensation? The possibility of a book sponsorship in the distant future? Yes—to all of it, and more. This exhibition is another stepping stone toward my long-held vision: to become a nationally recognized, independently established artist—one whose words and views hold meaning. That has always been the goal, from the very beginning, when I first conceived the idea of doing an Independent Study for my university program at the University of Wisconsin, Green Bay.

My first journal began on that first trip out of the U.S.—a student study tour of England. Since then, my journals and travels have continued through the years, now spanning almost three decades and many countries. At times, I lose touch with the journey, but the act of documenting—through writing and sketching—has persisted. Just as it’s happening right now, as I type this out.

The muezzin is calling the faithful. I feel the guilt of not joining the prayer. But here I am, caught in the middle of a different kind of devotion: a spiritual search for who I am, and how near—or how far—I am from my Maker.

That, ultimately, is what this whole journey has been about.
A soul search.
An attempt to make sense out of all the nonsense.
A path toward understanding my 'Dharma Position'—my primordial ground of being, that from which I came, and to which I shall return at the End of Days.

The road has been paved with dualities and contradictions. It has been a journey of seeking clues, raising questions about my place in relation to God, to my ailing wife and my children, to my family and friends, and to humanity at large.

This solo exhibition may well be a cornerstone of my artistic journey, as I begin to wind down from what has felt like a long and arduous—yet beautiful—adventure. It wasn’t always easy, but much of it was filled with joy, discovery, and a sense of privilege. There were mountains climbed, ravines crossed, and relationships navigated—many of which others may never experience. I have tried to record all of it through my art and writing.

And yes, the question will always remain:
What for?

Why spend all this time, money, and effort collecting things that may one day be forgotten?

The answer will always be the same:
To make sense out of nonsense.
To remember who I am.
To know my Dharma Position—so I may stand in presence and truth before my Lord and Maker at the End of Days.