Sandow Birk's Fearlessly Political Art Takes on Islam's Holy Book

NEWSWEEK
By Alexander Nazaryan

A page from Sandow Birk's illustrated American Qur'an.

It is audacious for any artist to treat as his subject the sacred texts of a faith to which he does not subscribe. It is especially so if you’re an atheistic Southern California surfer who decided he would create an illustrated version of the Koran, despite the long-standing Islamic tradition of not depicting the human form. But that is precisely what Sandow Birk set out to do. And did. His American Qur’an, recently published, is an unbeliever’s tribute to the message of Muhammad. In The American Qur’an , Birk says, these modern adherents of Islam find affirmation and inspiration, a surprising and welcome guidepost for their faith. [link]