The Arcanum is the fourth of the Lata’if, the “subtleties” of Sufi psychology also known as Chambers of the Heart. The original word for it, khafiy, means “hidden, concealed, unknown, unseen, invisible”. Its colour is black and it is associated with fanâ’, the extinction of the self.
Over a deep matte black, the design is painted in black which I made slightly iridescent: from certain angles, or under certain lights, the panel appears to be a plain black square, out of which the design appears, ghostly, as one moves.
I’m now planning a large piece taking this design further.
Creation process:
