Suleika Mueller Captures the Diversity of Devotion

RAYS, by Suleika Muller

Words and Images by Suleika Mueller.

For her new zine series, the photographer reflects on her own Sufi Muslim background and the resistance she has seen women face in religious spaces. Through three women who embrace and embody their practices, she attempts to portray the strength and beauty of individual devotion. Below, she tells AZEEMA how she went about creating the healing project.

RAYS is an ongoing portrait series exploring women whose art serves as both a personal spiritual practice and outward creative expression. Drawing from my personal experience growing up in a Sufi Muslim community, where women faced restrictions on practicing, art became the transformative medium through which I embarked on my spiritual journey. RAYS pays homage to women who have bravely paved the way for their unique and artistic styles of spiritual practice, celebrating the myriad ways in which creativity serves as a conduit for the divine.

The idea for RAYS actually came to me while I was shooting the first portrait series with Nevine Nasser, a London-based architect and Sufi Muslim. The project with her holds a special place in my heart; meeting and working with her was truly inspiring and heart-opening. Despite sharing a similar background, Nevine lives, works, and practices without restrictions as an equal to men in her order, which was incredibly healing for me to witness. We shot the series in the community space she designed, with just the two of us discussing her practice and experimenting with different shot ideas. It was very intimate and collaborative and there was a shared understanding of what we were trying to convey.

The second shoot came about when stylist Aartthie Mahakuperan reached out to me, asking whether I wanted to shoot portraits of the Bengaluru-based Bharatanatyam dancer Rukmini Vijayakumar. Upon researching Rukmini, I was deeply touched by her story of how dance became a spiritual practice for her. The shoot was a collaborative effort between Aartthie, Rukmini and me. Throughout the day, we shared and learned from each other, which created a beautiful and meaningful experience.

The third shoot was with London-based ceramicist and Buddhist Sassirika Lam, whom I met through the London Buddhist Centre. Before shooting the series, we met up so that she could tell me about her life, work and Buddhist practice, which then informed the shoot. We shot the portrait series on a Sunday at the London Buddhist Centre, with just the two of us experimenting with different shots and setups.

While the process for all three series was quite different, they were all very collaborative and centred around each individual woman and her practice. I also always like to do a lot of research in advance, especially when shooting practices that I’m less familiar with.

RAYS, as the name suggests, signifies unity expressed through diversity, like how white light is broken up into a vibrant spectrum of colours. In essence, I hope this project shines a light on our inherent similarities we all share, despite our diverse expressions. Each colour of the rainbow is uniquely beautiful, and none is superior to the others; all are indispensable.

See more from Suleika Mueller here.