Diaa Lagan ضِيّاء لَغَن
27 November – 22 December
Kaʔs draws on the poem I Was Given the Cup of Love Long Ago, written by 13th-century Andalusian mystic Abu al-Hasan al-Shushtarī. Exploring feelings of wonder and otherness, the works in Kaʔs offer symbols and routes to borderless worlds and interconnected consciousness.
سُقيتُ كأس الهَوَى قديماً من غير أَرْضيِ ولاَ سمَائِي
أصْبحتُ به فَريدَ عَصري بَينَ الْوَرى حاَمِلاً لِوائِي
لِي مَذْهَبٌ مَذْهَبٌ عَجِيب في الحُبِّ قَدْ فَاقَ يَا هَنائِي
يَا مَنْ هُمُو لِلجْمِيل أهْلٌ إِنْ لم يَمنُّوا فَيَا شَقائِي
حاشَاكُموا يَا أَُهَيْلَ نَجْدٍ أن تَقْطَعوُا مِنْكْمُو رجاَئِي
Born in Ash Valley (Guadix) in southern al-Andalus, al-Shushtarī stands among the luminous Sufi figures of his time – alongside Ibn ʿArabi and the spiritual guide Ibn Sabʿīn. I Was Given the Cup of Love Long Ago expresses a divine connection to another universe. Imagining himself to have once existed in another realm, his worldly concerns fall away, revealing an infinity of light and love. Through this vision, Al-Shushtarī calls out to all those who long to join him in love and unity – while gently reminding the people of Najd not to forget him in their earthly lives.
Diaa Lagan is a multidisciplinary artist based in Dublin. Working primarily in painting, digital work and sculpture, Lagan's practice deals with varied perspectives on the human conscious and sense of place. Recent exhibitions include Caligravity at The Horse and Routes and Realms – al-Masālik wa al-Mamālik at Chester Beatty, Dublin, 2025.