About the Project

 “...We created them from sticky clay.” 
Quran, Surat as-Saffat/Chapter of Those Arranged in Order, 37:11 

Alison Kysia, an artist & educator, experienced years of anti-Muslim bigotry in the workplace. She gave her sadness and anger to the clay to create a series of 99 sculptural pots that represent the 99 names of God in Islam, known as Asma Al-Husna (The Beautiful Names). Each of the 99 pots has its own shape, size, and fire marks, each one unique while also part of the whole. The pots represent the primordial power of tawhid, the Islamic principle of the diversity of all encapsulated in the One. It is precisely this principle, the drawing together of our diverse identities in community, that is the opposite of bigotry and discrimination.  

“O believers! Stand firm for justice and bear witness to God, even if it is against yourselves, your parents, or your close relatives, be they rich or poor...refrain from following your own desire so that you can act justly.” 
Quran, Surat an-Nisa/Chapter of The Women, 4:135.

Alison realized the power of these vessels to hold the stories of other Muslim women who wanted space to reflect on the challenges in their lives and their tools of resilience within a loving and inclusive community. Dr. Sabrina N’Diaye, a Muslim woman psychotherapist & healer, crafted a unique online retreat of spiritual connection, reflection, and contemplation. Every woman in the project then created a piece of artwork to share a snapshot of her experience in the retreat. To complete the storytelling project, we met in small groups from May 2021-December 2022. You can see the 99 Muslim women storytellers and their beautiful artwork here.