Ibn ‘Arabi’s Creative Imagination: Crossing Borders

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An event exploring Ibn ‘Arabi’s creative imagination, jointly organised by the Muhyiddin Ibn ‘Arabi Society and Language Acts and Worldmaking

Muhyiddin Ibn ‘Arabi (1165-1240) poet, philosopher and mystic, is one of the world’s most significant thinkers. He was born in Andalusia, Spain, at a time when there was much cultural interchange between Jews, Christians and Muslims. He travelled extensively, spending the second half of his life in what is now called the Middle East, although his ideas reached as far as China. While rooted in the widespread Islamic culture of his time, his thought transcends barriers of language, paradigm, culture and belief. Known as the Red Sulphur, his writing has the ability to transform preconceptions of what it means to be human.

This event explores how Ibn ‘Arabi’s creative imagination crosses philosophical, poetic, linguistic and artistic borders, and how his ideas continue to inspire contemporary poetry, film, art and music to this day. It also provides an opportunity for interactive discussion of short extracts from his writing. Previous knowledge of Ibn ‘Arabi’s work isn’t required, and all texts will be provided in English translations.

Cecilia Twinch (Senior Research Fellow of the Muhyiddin Ibn ‘Arabi Society, Oxford) gives an illustrated introduction to some of the main ideas in Ibn ‘Arabi’s thought through an overview of his life and works, with emphasis on the world of imagination. Ibn ‘Arabi’s writings provide a guide to a way of transformation, leading beyond the limitations of our personal beliefs to a certainty in the sacred wholeness of life, which transcends all boundaries of time and space yet is compassionately infused into everything that manifests in the world.

Rim Feriani (Lecturer in Arabic language at King’s College London) reads a selection of passages from Ibn ‘Arabi’s book The Fabulous Gryphon, in both Arabic and in English which demonstrate the concepts of imagination, spirituality and human potential. She will also discuss the close connection between Ibn ‘Arabi’s thought and contemporary artists and writers such as the internationally renowned artist Bill Viola and the acclaimed Algerian author Assia Djebar.

This event is free, please register your interest at Eventbrite.