https://www.metmuseum.org/perspectives/peter-hristoff-islamic-prayer-rugs Skip to main content ticketsMember | Make a donation Search * Visit + Plan Your Visit + Buy Tickets + Become a Member + Free Tours + Museum Map + Food and Drink + Accessibility + Group Visits * Exhibitions and Events + Exhibitions + Events + Free Tours + Performances * Art + The Met Collection + Curatorial Areas + Conservation and Scientific Research * Learn with Us + Learning Resources + Publications + Timeline of Art History + Workshops and Activities + Articles, Videos, and Podcasts * Research + Libraries and Research Centers * Shop * Search PerspectivesPrayer, Placement, and Absolution: Peter Hristoff on Islamic Prayer Rugs Prayer, Placement, and Absolution: Peter Hristoff on Islamic Prayer Rugs Peter Hristoff December 1, 2015 3 min. read Peter Hristoff. Untitled Peter Hristoff. Untitled, 2005. Wool; 159 1/2 x 73 3/4 in. Private collection <> My interest in halis (rugs) and kilims (flat weaves) was a natural connection to the journal-like quality of my work. I was fascinated by the diarist elements in traditional Turkish carpet making--the weaver incorporating events, personal beliefs, hopes, and desires with traditional regional symbols into their work--an approach I incorporated (and still incorporate) into my art making. I began to work on rug-inspired prints a few years later, in which I would, on a daily basis, complete a horizontal band of the composition that recorded my interests, personal mythologies, and artistic preoccupations. I always had the intention of eventually creating actual halis and kilims in Turkey, as the notion of the seccade (prayer rugs) particularly fascinated me--an object that creates a sacred space wherever it is placed, and is charged with hope and spiritual connections as well as a physical relationship to the body and geography. Peter Hristoff. Untitled; A rug maker shows one of her pieces in a fabric shop in Tokat, Turkey Left: Peter Hristoff. Untitled, 2005. Wool; 85 x 51 in. Collection of Omer Ozyurek. Right: A rug maker shows one of her pieces in a fabric shop in Tokat, Turkey, June 2015. Photo by the author The ritual of placement, prayer, and absolution all tap into issues I have been addressing in my work since the early 1980s, which make the seccade--an object of contemplation and decoration--an obvious focus in my work. I am interested in "bright sadness," a term I came upon in the Patriarch Bartholomew's statement in the exhibition catalogue that accompanied Byzantium: Faith and Power (2004), which most accurately describes my interests. In the publication, Bartholomew writes: "This refers to a mixed emotion of joy, over the anticipated help from God and Salvation, and sorrow, for the suffering of life and sin." This juxtaposition of the spiritual and the physical, the happy and the sad--mankind's conflicted nature--continues to be a predominant theme of my work. Peter Hristoff. Ten Seccades Peter Hristoff. Ten Seccades, 2011. Wool; variable sizes. Collection of the artist Peter Hristoff. Prayer Niche, 2007 Read all blog posts related to Peter Hristoff's residency at the Met. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Contributors Peter Hristoff * The Met Fifth Avenue 1000 Fifth Avenue New York, NY 10028 Phone: 212-535-7710 * The Met Cloisters 99 Margaret Corbin Drive Fort Tryon Park New York, NY 10040 Phone: 212-923-3700 * About The Met * Mission and History * Collection Areas * Conservation Departments * Accessibility * Press * Support * Membership * Host an Event * Travel with The Met * Corporate Support * Career Opportunities * Volunteers * Fellowships * Internships Follow us * * * * * Join our newsletter [ ]Sign Up * Site Index * Terms and Conditions * Privacy Policy * Contact Information (c) 2000-2024 The Metropolitan Museum of Art. All rights reserved.