Mihrab III - 70 x 100 cm. Limited edition linocut print by Marta Banaszak

Monotype linocut limited print, signed and dated by the artist. On single sheet 100x70 cm FABRIANO Rosaspina Bianco 260g paper.
All prints come from artist’s own edition of 12 proofs (épreuve d’artiste)

The linocut print is part of the Doctoral Thesis „Khan Asad Pasha, Monograph of the form”

A mihrab is the niche in the wall of a mosque, that indicates the direction of Mecca. Muslims should face this direction when praying. The structure was adapted from the prayer niches common to the oratories of Coptic Christian monks. Mihrabs are usually richly decorated, as they are the central energetic point in the structure of the mosque.

The Sultan Hassan Madrassa and Mosque in Cairo, Egypt is one of the most extraordinary monuments. Order for the construction was given in 1356 AD, by the not so extraordinary Sultan Hassan (a short, unimpressive reign). Works continued, without even one day off, at an incredible speed, for the next 3 years. The most remarkable northeast façade is 145 m long and 38 m tall (a modern 12-storey building).
This mihrab was decorated in the ablaq style, ornamented with polychrome marble and gilded inscriptions.

In the tradition of the Polish School of Printmaking. Since 1950 polish printmakers developed the technique of point linocut. The artist brings out a wide range of shades of grey from the linoleum plate by means of innumerable amount of small points of varied intensity. The more white dots, the more light. The linoleum plate is usually cut with a sharp-pointed chisel, but “maniac” printmakers use veterinary needles.