Sacred Seljuks: Islamic Geometry Drawing Community Session
Monjia Manai Sonnius
Join us on Zoom for an inspiring online art session exploring the intricate beauty of Seljuk-era Islamic geometry. Happening on 8th February 2025 at 2 PM GMT, this community workshop, led by Master Monjia Manai Sonnius, offers step-by-step techniques to create a stunning geometric pattern while delving into their historical significance. Whether you're a seasoned artist or a curious beginner, this session is a perfect opportunity to connect, create, and celebrate the rich heritage of Islamic art.
GUEST ARTIST
Monjia Manai Sonnius
Artist and Educator
Monjia Manai Sonnius was born in Sweden in 1961 and resides in an old house nestled in the forest outside Bengtsfors, a small village in the southwest of Sweden. A high-school engineer by training, Monjia worked at Ericsson for about a decade as a programmer and product manager. Currently, she is employed by the municipality of Bengtsfors, focusing on IT in education. In 1982, Monjia embraced Islam and became an active voice within the Muslim community. During her early years as a convert, she lectured in schools, contributed articles to an Islamic magazine, and organized courses and gatherings. Her journey as an artist began in 1990, exploring various mediums, including silverwork, stone grinding for jewelry, pottery, and stitching. While she enjoyed these crafts, it wasn't until 2017 that she discovered Islamic geometric patterns, which ignited her passion. In 2018, she joined the Facebook group of Mohamad Aljanabi, and by 2020, she participated in one of his early online courses. Outside her artistic pursuits, Monjia is an avid gardener who has transformed a vast garden from the ground up, combining her love for creativity and nature.
Guest Artist Works
Check out the works from our guest artists.
We are glad you asked! Check out our website and Instagram for upcoming, in-person and past events! Otherwise, you can sign up to this form and we’ll make sure to send you updates about our upcoming events right in your inbox.
Yes! You can join our events even if you’re not a member. The only difference between members and non-members is the event ticket price. Members also get more “perks” included in the membership. For more information check this page
No, the community membership opens few times a year. If you are reading this during the close cart time, you can join the waitlist and get notified when the registration open again.
- Every month we will host one drawing session and one painting technique session
- Once every quarter we will host a one-panel discussion
- Once a year networking event
We will be conducting all of our sessions online on Zoom. The link will be sent by email before the event.
As all teachers are fluent in English, the challenge will be conducted in English throughout the whole course.
Besides learning how to draw and/or paint different Islamic geometric patterns, you will learn the history behind them, techniques and tips that enable you to experiment and discover beyond them.
In addition, through our guest artists, you will learn unique perspectives to the art that are relevant to the art today, adding to your breadth and experience.
You can access all the information on your Thinkific account https://gcia.thinkific.com/users/sign_in
The recording will be uploaded after the session on your Thinkific account. You can access it here https://gcia.thinkific.com/users/sign_in
The recording will be available for two weeks (for non-members) and unlimited access (for members).
PDF tutorials will be uploaded on Thinkific for our community members. If you are one of them find them on your Thinkific account here https://gcia.thinkific.com/users/sign_in
Sure our PDFs are downloadable but please don’t share them with others. Thank you for your collaboration.
You are not allowed to teach or share the patterns, techniques or resources covered in the classes with others. You can though follow it to draw and paint your designs and utilise it in different mediums
The Community Platform is only available for our members. You are welcome to join us here.
Our Instagram handle is @gcislamicart and the hashtag we are going to use are #GCIACommunity #Islamicartcommunity
Each session will be different and a detailed list will be sent to you prior to the session.
In general, these are the tools recommended
Geometry sessions:
- Compass (Spring compass with adapter is preferable)
- Ruler
- Set square (optional)
- Soft lead pencil and hard lead pencil (mechanical pencil 0.5mm 2H and 0.7mm B are preferable)
- Eraser (Clic Eraser is preferable)
- Tracing paper
- Smooth surface paper (Bristol paper is preferable)
- Masking tape (optional)
Painting sessions:
- Drawing from the drawing session
- Thick paper (300gsm suggested)
- Colours of preference (watercolour, acrylics, crayons, felt-tip pens etc)
Biomorphic sessions:
- Copy paper, size A3 or A3 sketch pad
- Tracing paper, A4 or A3
- Watercolour paper 1, size A3
- Compass (Spring compass is preferable)
- Masking tape
- Pencils (H, HB, 2B)
- Eraser
- Ruler
- Coloured pencils or watercolors (round brushes, palette, container etc)
Digital sessions:
- Geogebra Classic 6
- Infinite Painter
Please email us at salam@gcislamicart.com
Sacred Seljuks: Islamic Geometry Drawing Community Session with Monjia Manai Sonnius
Join us and discover the beauty of Seljuk geometric designs.
