Zahir & Batin: Rhythms of Being is a multi-faceted research project questioning the definition and teleology of the term Islamic art while positioning a contemporary practice of art and design within the historical discipline. The investigation emphasizes the need for a re-interpretation and expansion of the disciplinary canon of Islamic art through the methodological use of the Islamic concept of ijtihad (reform). Situated within the interstitial space of traditional, art historical and contemporary Islamic art practices, Zahir & Batin: Rhythms of Being specifically explores the concept of zahir (exoteric) and batin (esoteric) as described in the Sufi tradition. The project combines hermeneutics with an interdisciplinary studio practice, utilizing intuition and the body as vehicles for attaining esoteric knowledge. The studio-practice explores the concept of the body in Islamic tradition, phenomenology, installation art practices, critical design and timebased media.