Emory_University_SealEmory University 11th Annual Art Gala
Faraz Khan (visual Artist)
Dean Obeidallah (comedian)
March 30, 2014

Emory University, Atlanta was the first time I started to utilize speed painting onstage.
It was a one-stop tour in Atlanta. I was at Emory University on stage with the Dean of Comedy, Dean Obeidallah; thinking I hope he doesn’t rip me apart during his comedy act but Dean is a class act. He made fun of people resorting to hate, prejudice and stereotypes to cover up their lack of humility, education and humanity. His latest comedy movie ‘The Muslims are Coming!’ is recently available on Netflix www.TheMuslimsAreComing.com – he talked about growing up as a Palestinian-Italian how he encountered stereotypes and his foray as a lawyer and becoming a comedian working with John Stewart. He had the crowd roaring and I enjoyed his keep it clean – no curse words please.
I had three items on my plate for my visual art performance and talk on stage.
1. Inspire
2. Inspire
3. Inspire
emory circle

emory inside dunn

emory inside hall

Emory postcards 2

Emory postcards

emory setupemory art yellow
I spoke about a lack of commitment to arts within American Muslim community especially in regards to Islamic schools education curriculum. Sadly at some schools, art is lower than lunch, gym, afterschool activities on the totem pole. You have a better chance of finding Dick Cheney and George Busch together at an Islamic School than an art curriculum that infuses a sense of creativity and identity. Cheap glittering plastic and photocopied works have replaced authentic and local art. However, things are changing and I have found a number of friends and artists who have refused to open the door for factory-made Islamic relics and arts.
I also performed an onstage art demo – speed painting the picture of Kaba in three minutes with the help of two gifted gentlemen from Emory University, Areesh Adulla and Faizan kothari. It was my first act of onstage speed painting art demo and I hope to continue doing painting and calligraphy at schools and universities. I also would like to recognize all those who made this event possible a special THANK YOU to the MSA Board at Emory – Zeeshan Anwar, Maydda Qureshi, Farhan Momin, Omair Kazi, Rehan Bhiwandiwalla, Atif Niaz, Maheen Nadeem, Sumer Azam, Tagwa El-Mubarak, Sahil Gilani, Tim Rupranian, Reem Al-Atassi, Ahmed Rahim, Hiba Zafar, Areesh Abdulla, Faizan Kothari, Mashal Mirza, Anushah jiwani, Fariah Majid; emcees Ahmad El-Gendi and Mavara Agha for a wonderful job keeping things on track and Office of Religious Life, Dean Ajay Nair, Lisa Garvin and Susan Henry-Crowe. I had a nice chat about Palestine and interfaith religious understanding with Emory chaplains and Susan Henry-Crowe.

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ABOUT FARAZ KHAN

I express my intellectual longing for creative ideas through Islamic art by fusing colors, lines, dots, and words together to inspire a meaning worth imagining. My work explores universal values of love, life, faith, prayer, beauty, and divine that synthesizes feelings and pictograms through lettering.
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