Study Trip to Fez with Art of Islamic Design, October 2018Study Trip to Fez with Art of Islamic Design 2018

In August 2018, after exhibiting her autobiographical drawings at the Freud Museum London, Fay took some time out of the studio to reflect on a decade of drawing memories of her childhood and parents. She felt the urge to begin afresh and put the autobiographical work to rest, feeling that she had completed her journey into the past. Inspired by seeing a friend’s beautiful Islamic drawings, Fay decided to take the plunge and sign up to a week of intensive drawing with a compass and ruler, learning to create intricate complex Islamic designs. She had not used a compass since school days and found the experience of drawing circles, hexagons and octagons both mystifying and absorbing. Each day was spent drawing until late afternoon before guided tours of Fez with its beautiful architecture and coloured tilework. The week was led and taught by Richard Henry and Adam Williamson, two leading artists and exponents of Islamic pattern. Fay returned to London with a large portfolio of drawings and the urge to learn more about Islamic culture.