| Title | Prayer for Daybreak |
| Subtitle | God Protect Me from the Evil Eye |
| Artist / Creator | Tania Baban |
| Press Name | Conflux Press |
| Artist's Nationality | United States |
| Place of Publication | Marina del Rey, CA |
| Publication Date | 2013 |
| Subject | Religion |
| Process / Technique | Inkjet with ink illumination |
| Structure / Binding | Hard-bound cover with an 8-page gatefold center spread. |
| Medium / Materials | Bookcloth, beads |
| Paper Stock | Stonehenge and Canson papers, metallic decorative tissue |
| Number of Pages | 8 page |
| Dimensions (WxHxD) | 5.5 x 9.5 x .5 inches |
| Edition Size | Edition of 4 |
| Signed & Numbered | Yes |
This book is based on surah Al-Falaq number 113 (“The Dawn”) from the holy Qur’an, which has 114 surahs or “chapters.” I originally was inspired to use this prayer in response to a call for a book with the theme of “Superstition.” In the Middle East, this prayer is commonly invoked for protection—even by those who aren’t religious. It’s used to ward off intentional (and unintentional—) envy from others. The evil eye is found in most cultures including Muslim, Jewish, and Christian, among others. I used an actual Turkish glass evil eye on the book cover, as well as a fabric representation on the box. The black and white book cloth symbolizes light vs. the dark or good vs. evil. Because surah 113 is from the Qur’an, I enhanced the book with traditional geometric/architectural Arabesque designs and patterns, embellished with metallic inks. I used a gatefold format because the prayer is set in dual-language format, with Arabic mirrored by an English version.
Artist Bio
Tania Baban is a book artist and graphic designer with a BFA in Communication Design from Otis College of Art & Design in L.A. She has worked in the field of graphic design and advertising for more than two decades, including 13 years as an art director and designer with the National Football League's Creative Services Group in Los Angeles. She's the co-founder of Conflux Press. Her artist's books are held in private, institutional, and international collections, including those of the Getty Research Institute, Victoria & Albert Museum, Otis College of Art & Design, the USC, UC Santa Cruz, George Mason, Oberlin, and Brown University Special Collections Libraries, Scripps College, San Francisco Center for the Book, as well as the National Gallery of Australia. One of her artist's books, "The Street of the Poet," is part of the Al-Mutanabbi Street exhibit currently traveling in the US and UK, and will be shown in other international cities.