Sacred Geometry of Devotion: A Talk with Muhammad Usman Ali

Muhammad Usman Ali is the craftsman behind Al Ali Arts, a Stockport-based studio specialising in traditional Islamic mihrabs – the ornamental niches that mark the spiritual focal point of a mosque. His education began under a Master calligrapher in Oldham, learning classical methods by hand: shaping bamboo pens, preparing ink from soot, and making pigments from natural materials like lapis lazuli and malachite. His training deepened through journeys to Istanbul, studying Ottoman-era mosques where geometry, calligraphy, and architecture meet in harmony – and grew into a lifelong study of the Arabic letterform, understood structurally and spiritually as well as visually. Having completed over twenty architectural mihrabs, his practice has since expanded into muqarnas, the intricate geometric vaulting technique often described as a “hidden dimension” existing first in the mind before taking physical form.

In this talk, Usman will discuss how Islamic sacred symbolism – through calligraphy, geometry, and proportion – shapes spaces for contemplation, and how heritage craft continues to inform contemporary sacred architecture.

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