Modern Prayer Rug Workshop and Exhibition

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Each year students and faculty from the MFA in Design program at VCUarts in Qatar travel together to participate in an immersive learning experience—our annual field study. We travel outside our region to benefit from specialized knowledge and innovative processes, while maintaining a cultural link to Qatar through the design outcomes we produce. It is a strategic fusion of old and new, students and faculty, foreign and familiar. 2017's field study included a 5-day workshop in Oldeberkoop, the Netherlands. Students and faculty each designed and felted a modern prayer rug. Praying is one of the Five Pillars of Islam, and as such, is an obligatory duty of every Muslim. Prayer rugs are used by Muslims globally, and have a rich history that spans the Middle East, North Africa, and Asia. Traditional prayer rugs are woven, featuring distinct patterns and colors that often reveal a rug’s place of origin. A prayer rug’s purpose is to delineate a clean space for performing prayers.

Wispy wool fibers—agitated with soap and water—will tangle and blend to form a non-woven textile: felt. The ancient process requires careful observation and keen sensory awareness. With deliberate movement and attention to the strands of wool, the material transforms before one’s eyes. It is a natural alchemy; out of many, one.

[93:7]

Scattered triangles gradually find a direction in this prayer rug; a reminder that solace and strength can be found in Allah (SWT) by seeking guidance through prayer. The rug is inspired by the Quranic verse “And He found you lost and guided you” [93:7].

- Prayer rug designed and felted by Majdulin Nasrallah