The Tree of Life II is a visual interpretation of a verse by the Sufi writer and mystic Mansur al-Hallaj that states:

'The dot is the beginning of all Arabic

letterforms, the point from which Allah

created the letters of the alphabet.’

The installation is composed of all the letters of the Arabic alphabet in different variations of the Sumbuli script. The letters are created from lazer-cut sheets of wood that are lacquered in varying shades, representing the tree’s foliage. A selection of letters are created out of metal sheets, which reference from a verse by Rumi:

‘Let the beauty we love be what we do.

There are hundreds of ways to kneel and

kiss the ground.’

The bark is made of embroidered braided fabric, which is suspended at the bottom of the letters. The installation re-introduces everyday materials in a new form, combining the sacred and the mundane, the spiritual and earthly. Lighting will also play important role in creating shadows and reflection.