A profoundly deaf artist has spoken about the inspiration behind some of her Islamic embroidery and quilts.

Alex Tritton, a convert to Islam has been producing the thought-provoking textiles since 2013 but said she always had an interest in sewing since a young age.

Some of her work takes up to two months to produce and it is a process which sees her delve into the background of the words and phrases.

She said: “It takes a while to research and prepare what I am going to do.
“There is a lot of designing beforehand.

“It can be time-consuming as it is free-hand embroidery. But this is what I enjoy.

“I want people to be able to understand the background to the Quranic verses and what I am trying to convey.”

Her work, which she does not sell, highlights the miracles of the Quran, the hijab, the environment and in one piece she explains the role of the Prophet Isa (Jesus) in Islam.

The intricate designs range in size from small pieces made up of Quranic phrases to larger artwork exploring important facets of what it means to be a Muslim.

She said: “I was born a Christian and I only heard true nature of Islam in 1992 when I was introduced to it by friends. Before then I would say I was wary of it because of how it was portrayed by the media.

“As part of my work I want to break down those misconceptions that still exist in people’s minds.

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The work can take up to two months to complete

Alex always had an interest in art and went on to graduate in Craft, Design and Technology. She took her shahada in 1994 and moved to Blackburn to be with her husband whom she met whilst on a teacher training course.

She added: “I wanted to show that despite my hearing problems nothing can hold you back and encourage the deaf community to reach out.”

The artwork was previously on display at Al Rahma mosque in Liverpool which was organised by her friend but it has now closed. It can now be viewed at the Amanah Wellbeing and Spiritual Centre, based from the Palm Nursery School on St Silas Road, Blackburn.

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Alex, a mum-of-four said: “In one piece I looked at how faith is very much like a tree. A tree takes such a long time to develop and grow and in the same way so does a person’s faith.

“Yet, all the time you need to develop your faith further.

“I like all the pieces as they all have different meanings. My favourite is the first one I ever did and that is the ‘bee’.

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Yalina (left) with Alex and Noreen at the Amanah Wellbeing and Spiritual Centre

Noreen Hameed from the Palm Tree Nursery School, who first met Alex whilst attending study circles in Liverpool, said: “Alex puts a lot of effort into the work. Here, we wanted people to come and view the work in a relaxed environment.

“It is a way of reaching out to Muslims and non-Muslims who can find out more about the Islam.”

Yalina Apabhai has worked with members of the deaf community for many years and said she had been deeply inspired by the work Alex produces.

She told us: “When you see the work it is amazing and Alex herself is very inspiring.
“Her work translates so well visually and each piece is unique. There are deep and thoughtout meanings to her pieces.”