There is nothing more painful than being rejected by your family.  especially when they’re rejecting you for finding love.

This is a soul portrait I made for my patron who has been facing a lot of struggle with his family as an out gay Muslim who has moved in with his male partner.  

This painting is called “halal love”, I made the heart and wings out of scraps of rainbow-colored paint that had dried onto my paint palette.  And added some arabic calligraffi in the back –the words are “halal habb” which translates into love that is halal, or accepted by Islamic communities.  Because that is our vision with MPV — building Muslim communities that are truly inclusive, loving and accepting. Here, “there”, and everywhere.

The winged heart is a common image in Islam, especially in Sufism — the meaning is the soul rising to God, and seeking an infinite love relationship with the Oneness that underlies all existence.

Could we really love eachother in a way where we don’t see “the other”?