Who Are We
The Book that changed Everything
The Origin:
Zahir X Batin
The Visible and the Invisible
“The first structure to understand about the world is the duality of Zahir and Batin, that there is an apparent world which we see and feel, and a hidden world which we can only apprehend with our minds and hearts. Beginning with what is closer at hand, we can physically see and feel our own bodies and at the same time have an inner awareness of ourselves and our thinking, but we cannot employ our physical sense to touch our thoughts or see our feelings. From this microcosmic level, the duality also applies to the universe. Just as our physical bodies abide in this material world of Zahir, Nasir teaches that the non-physical part of our beings whether called soul or mind or heart – resides in the spiritual universe of the Batin, to which in fact it yearns to return, to regain its proper home. Thus, the ultimate journey is the journey of the soul which starts here and now, in this world. And for Nasir Khusraw this is not mere philosophy but a personal statement of faith.”
Culture By Fusion
WE DON’T FIT INTO ONE CATEGORY, NEITHER DOES CULTURE.
Zahir X Batin is a Montréal creative studio working idea of Culture by Fusion. We bring together influences from Eastern and Western cultures, tradition and contemporary life, the visible and the invisible through art, fashion, film, performance and events, we explore these intersections and create new ways of seeing, connecting and expressing ourselves. Culture is not frozen in the past, it evolves, travels, it transforms, it crosses borders and takes new forms. We don’t fit onto one category, neither does culture, Zahir X Batin exists in that space.
Hybrid Identity of a Diaspora Kid
About our Founder
Ahmad Shuhib Zuhurooddin, also known as Indigo Seven, is a multidisciplinary artist, educator and cultural producer working across fashion, comedy, music, film, performance and community-based cultural work. His multidisciplinary practice reflects a belief that creativity should not be confined to a single discipline. From Bamyan to Pakistan, Moscow to Montréal, a journey across cultures that shaped the way he sees the world. His connection to community began early, through volunteering, teaching, camp counselling and leadership roles supporting young people and newly arrived communities from diverse cultural backgrounds. He studied Philosophy at the Université de Montréal, a discipline he describes as “the science of all sciences,” and later pursued Islamic Studies through the Institute of Ismaili Studies in London. His intellectual and artistic influences range from Ismaili philosophers and Sufi mystics such as Nasir-e Khusraw and Rumi to Western poets including Baudelaire and artists like Ye, formally known as Kanye West. Today, Shuhib works at the intersection of education, immigration-refugees field, art and culture, developing his practice as a poet, filmmaker, designer and creative director. His multidisciplinary approach is at the heart of Zahir X Batin — a platform exploring the meeting point between the visible and invisible, tradition and contemporary culture, with a particular focus on identity and collective experience.
"He doesn't believe in being boxed in, Zahir X Batin is the space between the boxes."