al-khayal a portfolio

abdul k. rahim

al-khayal noun. [Orig: Sufism < Arabic] divine imagination

contents

lunchtime

face value

sakyamuni

au naturel

reveries

structures

morphosis

accolades

1. The food pyramids of elementary school are nonexistent in the slums of Dhaka. Many girls will be forced to main-tain their daily caloric intake with a spiced soup of leafy greens and a plate of rice. Malnourishment is not a simple case of economics; deeply-embedded values against girls in a patriarchal society also contribute to the nutritional imbalance. [Dhaka, Bangladesh]

2. Eating is more than an act of nourishment. History, religion, and science all join in for dinner. The Brahmins of Tamil Nadu have a strict dietary code that restricts them from eating meat and any food made by a non-caste member. Rice and vegetables, cooked in coconut milk, are the mainstays of Tamil Brahmin cuisine. [Chennai, India]

3. One of the major diseases inflicting South Asian nations is type-2 diabetes. The recent shifts in lifestyle and diet contribute greatly to the risk of developing diabetes. However, certain customs embedded in the Indic cultures may help control the disease. Bitter gourd, a popular vegetable throughout Asia, has chemical properties known to aid in regulating metabolism. [Kolkata, India]

4. Canopy Omelette [Chez Rahim, USA]

2 tsp. olive oil3 large eggs1 red onion, finely chopped2 garlic, minced1 small tomato, diced2 Tsp. yogurt¼ tsp. cuminSalt and Pepper to taste½ cup fresh spinach

1) Mix together eggs, tomato, yogurt, cumin, salt and pepper.2) Heat oil in frying pan. Add onion and garlic, cook until slightly brown.3) Pour in egg mixture. After two minutes, add spinach on top. Cover and cook for five minutes.4) Serve immediately with

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5. Yes, Your Highness.Without Shubal’s agility, the unreachable papayas are a feast only accessible to the birds. Shubal asks for one thing in re-turn for his weekly papaya-picking: two hours of uninterrupted TV time. [Chittagong, Bangladesh]6. The Whole Nine Yards.In South Asia, female grace is syn-onymous to a sari. Whether it is gold-brocaded Benarasi silk or simple green cotton, these nine yards adorn goddesses and wandering gypsies alike.[Narayanganj, Bangladesh]7. The faces of Chittagong make apparent its vibrant history. For centuries, the city’s tolerant Sufi culture attracted people as varied as the Portuguese, Persians, and Peranakans.[Chittagong, Bangladesh]

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8. The Lily’s Ode Who am I to judge a Rose? I, who arose from mud and mire. Men risk thorns for her shows. But gods risk men for my desire. [Bangkok, Thailand]

9. “At Ongcor, there are ...ruins of such grandeur... that, at the first view, one is filled with profound admiration, and cannot but ask what has become of this powerful race, so civilized, so enlightened, the authors of these gigantic works?” ~Henri Mouhot, 1826-1861 [Siem Reap, Cambodia]

10. Though present-day Bangladesh is largely a Muslim country, Buddhism was a dominant force throughout Bengal’s ancient history. It was from here that Buddhism spread to Southeast Asia and Tibet. In the southeastern town of Ramu, the monks guard a secret from the reign of Emperor Asoka the Great. [Ramu, Bangladesh]

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11. Oedipus’s Pseudopod

Lepidoptera SphingidaeCommon Name: Sphinx moth

… and the Sphinx asked Oedipus:What goes on four legs in the morning, on two legs at noon, and on three legs in the evening?

[Florida, USA]

12. The Mullah’s CowMullah Nasreddin was visiting another town, and a man asked him, “What’s the word for ‘baby cow’ in your village?” Nasreddin couldn’t remember the word, so he replied, “Where I’m from, we don’t call a baby cow anything. We just wait until it grows up, and then we call it a cow. “ [Chittagong, Bangladesh]

13. Backwater Gossip It is not surprising why the Malayalis call their homeland Kerala, meaning Land of Coconuts. Since antiquity, Kerala’s trade was largely centered on coconut-basedproducts and spices. This coco-culture still remains untouched in many parts of Kerala, particularly in the Backwaters. [Ernakulum, India]

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A daydream often turned into a retreat, escaping from the mundanity of the ‘here’. Phoenix’s Persian kin, the Simurgh found its mount in a warrior, together off to find the Valley of the Red Lotus.

1. The Simorgh’s Flight(Red) Ink on Paper2005

2.Prince of PersiaCharcoal & Pencil2005

3.Sakyamuni’s Retreat Ballpoint Pen (Blue)2003

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A wall or a reef, every struc-ture is an intricate interplay of smaller building blocks.

4. Holy WatersInk (Black and Blue)2010

5.Bengal CountrysideInk (Blue)2005

6.Spanish TerraceInk2009

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The viability of a creative mind lays in its willing-ness to adapt; its ability to morph. A peacock’s feathers should not just be sketched - oils, acrylic, adobe should all convene to express the brilliance of such a bird.

7.Peacocks in a GardenOrig: Colored PencilComputer Graphics, Multimedia2006

8.(Untitled)Oil on Canvas2008incomplete

9. Akbar’s ViewColored Pencil2005

10.Akbar’s View IIMural. Acrylic.2005

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Art is more than imagination.It is a medium of expression.A conveyance of values. A struggle for an ideology.

11.Memorial Design Contest

12. 13. 14. Art in Action.

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al-khayal 2011