Lanterns Along the Drift

 

                                           Museum Gallery staff hung my artwork in the past.

Lanterns Along the Drift

This morning I found myself drifting, wondering, seeking a meaningful space to express what remains unexpressed while listening to the verses of the Qur’an. Sometimes, silence carries more weight than speech; even in my quiet drifting, I felt the verses anchoring me, like lanterns set afloat on a dark river.

Out of this yearning, I returned to the University Museum Gallery, a place where my brush once found freedom. My small apartment has no room for large canvases, but the gallery has always been spacious—wide enough for both paint and spirit. I came to ask permission to work there again, this time to prepare for an upcoming group exhibition.

I do not doubt the doors will open. My connection with this place has always been good, rooted in trust and mutual recognition. More than a practical visit, it felt like a step toward reawakening creativity, and toward rekindling friendships that have carried me through the years. What began long ago as a move to paint and simply be among friends has stretched across time, becoming a thread quietly woven into my life.

As I stood there, I met a young artist from China, busy hanging his watercolor works—portraits of a rural tribe in Southern China, whom he had visited. His paintings were tender depictions of life, the dignity of ordinary people rendered in careful strokes of color and water.

In him, I saw a reflection of myself at his age: hungry to capture life, to honor others through brush and paper. Our conversation was effortless, tied by that silent bond of artists who know that true art comes from lived experience, not just technique. His works impressed me, not as mere images, but as offerings—bridges between his journey and the eyes of others.

Walking away, I carried with me a quiet reminder: the fire of creativity still burns, waiting patiently for its full return. Perhaps drifting is not a loss, but a way of being guided—toward spaces, encounters, and verses that whisper of renewal.

Prayer
O Allah, You who are the Source of all beauty and truth,
let my art be a mirror of Your creation,
my brush an instrument of remembrance,
and my encounters a reminder that every soul reflects Your light.
Guide my drifting into purpose,
and make my seeking an offering of gratitude.
Amin.

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