Inspired by Rifa‘i Sufi Rituals
Intoxication & Sobriety references the ritual practices of the Rifa‘i Sufi sect, known for collective acts of zikr (remembrance of God) that induce profound spiritual states. Historically, these rituals included acts such as body piercing and walking on fire—performed without injury—as a demonstration of divine intervention and transcendence over physical laws.
The geometric pattern in this work is derived from the Rifa‘i Mosque in Cairo, a site associated with the sect and particularly prominent during the Mamluk period. The composition reflects harmony, balance, and spiritual unity achieved through collective devotion.
A subtle presence of red interrupts the otherwise calm palette, symbolizing the fragile threshold between divine protection and human vulnerability. While the ritual state offers transcendence and immunity from harm, the red suggests that outside this spiritual alignment, injury and imbalance are possible. The work thus holds a tension between serenity and risk, faith and corporeality.