Flower Meadow

Fika Arestya Sultan // Mixed media on canvas // 160 cm x 200 cm // 2021

Flower Meadow #2

Fika Arestya Sultan // Mixed media on canvas // 160 cm x 125 cm // 2021

Diversity is beauty

Diversity is life

Diversity is God’s greatness

Religion is God’s way of leading people. Trust based on belief in God’s love for us opens many ways to the beauty of differences. This leads to the awareness that we exist because of diversity. Our body does not consist of itself. This body consists of many organs, both visible (macro) and invisible (micro), which support us, in order for us to be upright, able to fulfil our duties as representatives of God.

People are perfect like the different flowers in a meadow. Their different sizes and blooms make them beautiful and complementary. Plurality is wonderful when it is based on a broad understanding of love (Ya Rahman) and deep love (Ya Rahim). The level of harmony achieved depends on the effort employed by the individual to achieve it. The pursuit for harmony opens the awareness for the ease of life. Therefore, it is only natural that division in society becomes a problem if the individual understanding of what constitutes diversity is not yet perfect.

Spaces are created to make space for similarities and to ignore differences. Perhaps the process of persistent ignorance is keeping us from our true curiosity. Life is a search for the Real. Innalilahi waina ilaihi rojiun. We were created because of God’s majesty, and we will surely return to Him.

Note on translation:

The names of God, Ar-Rahman (the Merciful) and Ar-Rahim (the Gracious), mentioned by the artist in the form of an invocation in his concept (Ya Rahman; Ya Rahim) are two of the most important characteristics of God in Islam.

Innalilahi waina ilaihi rojiun is a part of a verse from the Qur’an (2: 156) that says that all people come from God and return to God. Traditionally, this phrase is said when someone has died or when someone has suffered a misfortune.