#: locale=en
## Tour
### Description
### Title
tour.name = Art from the Islamic World
## Skin
### Multiline Text
HTMLText_04FFBC2C_1216_7593_41A4_E1B06B145F04.html = TRACES OF
ISLAMIC BAHRAIN
__________
The olive-green glaze on this plate was originally developed to imitate the colour of expensive Chinese green-glazed ceramics, usually known as celadon. At first, the Middle Eastern potters closely imitated the shape and decoration of Chinese celadon, but in later years they began to apply their own decorative techniques, in this case painted geometrical patterns beneath the glaze.
Persian fritware plate with geometric design
16th-17th CE. Qal’at al-Bahrain, Main Fortress
(Bahraini / BACA excavations, 2001)
__________
This water jar is an example of « Julfar Ware », which was made in Ras Al-Khaimah, UAE from the 13th to the mid 20th century AD. The people of the Gulf constantly carried out a lively trade by sea, carrying local and international goods, and this jar would have come to Bahrain on a local sailing dhow.
Spouted jar with painted decoration
19th-20th c. CE. Bahrain,
unspecified location
__________
Persian pottery such as this plate often depicted the head of a youth. The design became particularly popular during the Safavid period (16th-early 18th c. CE), as seen here. The potter used an olive-green « imitation celadon » glaze, but this black, blue and white painted pattern would never have been seen on Chinese pottery.
Fragmentary Persian fritware plate with the head of a youth
16th-17th c. CE. Qal’at al-Bahrain, Main Fortress
(Bahraini / BACA excavations, 2001)
__________
Jars with « turban handles » have been found in several places in Bahrain, including Aali, where this one was excavated, Barbar and Bilad Al-Qadim, which was then the capital of the Bahrain islands. This one may have been locally made, and similar examples are known from Iraq and Iran.
Three-handled jar, medium size, incised decoration
9th-11th c. CE. Aali,
unspecified context
__________
US educated photographer Ghada Khunji has recently returned to her home Bahrain after a 20 plus year sojourn in New York. Ghada Khunji is a graduate of the Parsons School of Design (1995) and the International Center of Photography’s documentary programme, both in New York. Her career as a documentary photographer blossomed whilst residing in New York from 1991 to 2013.Khunji’s photographs document both landscapes and people from all over the world and are known for the inherent dignity of their human element For this, she received a number of awards, including the Lucie Discovery of the Year (2006), American Photo Magazine’s Image of the Year Award (2007), as well as the Golden Lights Award for Travel (2006).
After a career focused on fashion and then documentary photography, the return to Bahrain has led to a substantial shift in the artist’s focus. In recent years, Khunji has shifted her lens from the peripheral to explore her deepest contemplations on cultural identity and the perspective of women hailing from the Arabian Gulf. Her recent work, FaRIDA (2017), has received acclaim internationally, while Our Last Supper (2017) has toured the United States.
“BISMILLAH AR-RAHMAN AR-RAHEEM
Kãf-Ha-Ya-’Aĩn- Șãd
It is only befitting that I chose my muse to be the date palm tree.
Dates have been the staple food of the Middle East and its region for thousands of years. The palm has been represented artistically and in many artifacts of connecting civilizations. Dates are symbolic of life and fertility. For local civilizations such as the Babylonians and Assyrians, the date palm was considered as the Sacred Tree connecting heaven, represented by the crown of the tree, and earth, the base of the trunk. Dates have been significant in many religions including Islam, Christianity and Judaism.
In the holy Quran, they are mentioned numerous times. I was touched by Surah Maryam where it says: Then the pains of labour drove her to the trunk of a palm tree. She cried, “Alas! I wish I had died before this, and was a thing long forgotten!” So a voice reassured her from below her, “Do not grieve! Your Lord has provided a stream at your feet” And shake the trunk of this palm tree towards you, it will drop fresh, ripe dates upon you.
So eat and drink, and put your heart at ease. From this I envisioned the palm tree as a female, abundant in fertility providing nourishment to her children, the children of this World.
The bisht I have created is an homage to her. It is adorned with over 2000 date seeds creating an armor around her, and the spine is made of date palm leafs. She is the symbol of purity, strength, power and peace. She is a warrior, forever protecting humanity.”
Kingdom of Bahrain
Ghada Khunji
__________
The Tree of Life is best known for the ancient tree growing in the centre of the Bahraini desert. Recently archaeologists found a large settlement of the 16th-17th centuries CE around the tree, which contained a huge number of this type of water-jar. At that time the region was very unstable and the coastal areas of Bahrain suffered badly from raiders, so perhaps some inhabitants retreated to the desert areas for safety.
Three-handled water jar
16th-17th CE. Tree of Life settlement
(Bahraini / BACA excavations, 2010-2011)
__________
Most of the ceramics found in archaeological excavations at Islamic period sites are simple earthenwares such as this water jar. The majority were locally made. This one would have been used to hold water drawn from a well at the Tree of Life settlement.
Handled water-jar
16th/17th CE. Tree of Life settlement
(Bahraini / BACA excavations, 2010-2011)
__________
Lalla Essaydi is a contemporary Moroccan photographer and painter. Her work focuses on Arabic female identity explored through a 19th-century Orientalist style, wherein the artist hand-paints Arabic calligraphy in henna on different surfaces, such as fabric, bodies, and walls. Her photographs address the complex reality of the power structures imposed on the Arab female body through a tradition-laden lens. Born in 1956 in Marrakech, Morocco, after a childhood and early adult life characterized by frequent relocation, Essaydi moved to Boston in 1996. She earned her BFA from Tufts University and a subsequent MFA at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in 2003. Her work has received worldwide critical acclaim, and is held and exhibited at institutions such as the National Museum of African Art in Washington, D.C. the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Fries Museum in the Netherlands.
”Les Femmes du Maroc expanded on the artist‘s exploration of the charged rhetoric of veiling and revealing which surrounds islamic women. The women in this series are thoroughly swathed in islamic calligraphy, painstakingly applied in henna which decorated their skin, their robes, and the interiors that surround them. But despite the demanding process, the women in the photographs participate because they feel they are contributing to the treating emancipation of Arab women and at the same time, conveying to a western audience a very rich tradition often misunderstood in the west. The henna/calligraphy can be seen as both a veil and as an expressive statement, yet the two are not so much in opposition as interwoven“
Morroco
Lalla Essaydi
__________
Bahrain has been a crossroads of the Islamic world for more than 1200 years.
From the early Abbasid era onwards it was deeply integrated into religious, political, and economic networks that joined the diverse regions of the Middle East into a Muslim community with shared artistic and cultural sensibilities. Bahrain was also a node in the vast maritime network that connected the Gulf and the Middle East with distant Muslim communities and trading partners in the western Indian Ocean region, including India, Sri Lanka and Africa, and as far afield as Southeast Asia and China. These Islamic and global connections, founded in the 2nd century of Islam, were retained and developed throughout the medieval period and into the modern era, and still resound today in the traditional art and architecture of Bahrain.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) decreed on November 18 of each year, an International Day of Islamic Art, after a proposal made by the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities in the name of the Kingdom of Bahrain during 2018, when Muharraq was the capital of Islamic culture. What is the significance of this day’s acknowledgement of artistic and creative mobility mean in Islamic countries and in other regions of the world?
The Arab and Islamic countries possess many historical treasures, literary knowledge and artistic innovations that have influenced a multitude of successive global civilizations over hundreds of years, and defining cultures with all these gains opens a new window for creating a civilizational and cultural dialogue between countries and the various peoples of the world, a dialogue that stands on solid ground as it is built on the foundations of understanding, coexistence and human acquaintance.
With the success of adopting an International Day for Islamic Arts, The Kingdom of Bahrain has been able to provide an annual and global opportunity to revive interest in the arts in the countries of the Arab and Islamic worlds, which leads to reviving the process of sustainable development and upgrading the economic level of Islamic societies, whose members have practiced these arts for many years and were able to incorporate it into all walks of public life and at various levels.
This global artistic event will display the works of seven artists from Islamic cultural backgrounds from the Gulf region, North Africa, Andalusia (Spain) and Southeast Asia, where the artists are inspired by Islamic heritage elements such as the Arabic language, traditional textures, handicrafts and others. The exhibition will also include works from the Collection of the Bahrain National Museum as well as loans from a number of private museums and collectors in the Kingdom.
Born in Muharraq, 1954, Ebrahim Busaad is a freelance professional artist and a founding member of the Bahrain Art Society. Ebrahim BuSaad was educated as an artist in University of Baghdad, Iraq where he earned a BA in Fine Arts. During his tenure at the Ministry of Education he designed and directed the printing of many book covers for many literatures, novels and children textbooks. BuSaad is a brilliant calligrapher and colorist, and both elements are always present in his paintings, drawings and prints. His work is inspired by his immediate surroundings – the alleys, people, old quarters and dhows that characterize the old town of Muharraq, where he was born. His body of works convey a clear passion for modern art and calligraphy, and he uses various innovative art techniques and tools to portray his work such as drawing, watercolor, acrylic paint, oil on canvas, etching silk screen, collages and installations as well as other methods.With a great zest for life, women, birds and musical instruments feature prominently in the artist’s oeuvre. Ebrahim Bu Saad’s work has been shown in Bahrain, the Cairo and Sharjah Biennales and is the recipient of the Al Dana Award (Bahrain) and the Golden Palm Award (Qatar).
“Since the ‘Ring of Dove’ is widely considered one of the most important heritage books, the expressive harmony between text and painting is necessary. In these works, the drafting of the paintings depended on the legacy of traditional calligraphy paintings in the strict construction, composition and flow of manuscripts, using natural materials in preparing the paper and Islamic colors related to the design and drawings of the decorations. The passage of time was recreated on the painting, which gives a sense of antiquity and history. The Arabic calligraphy remains present and master of the situation in this experiment, which took a lot of effort and time to reach this limit of convergence between the text and the plastic wording.”
Kingdom of Bahrain
Ebrahim Busaad
__________
Low bowl. Glazed pottery, with calligraphic decoration
10th-12th c. CE. Bahrain,
unspecified location/excavation
__________
This bowl with calligraphic decoration belongs to a range of ceramics produced across Iran and Central Asia in the 10th-12th centuries CE. It is known as Slip Painted Ware because the dark decoration was painted onto a pale coating (a « slip »). A transparent glaze was then applied over the decoration.
Colourful glazed bowls such as this were produced in southern Iraq in the 9th-10th centuries CE, and immediately became popular in Bahrain and elsewhere in the Islamic world. They were made using new technologies at a time of scientific innovation sponsored by the Abbasid court. This example was found in 1957 in a re-used well at the Barbar Temple.
Tulip bowl. Glazed pottery
9th/10th cent. CE. Barbar Temple
(Danish excavations, 1957)
__________
TRACES OF
ISLAMIC BAHRAIN
_____________
Bahrain has been a crossroads of the Islamic world for more than 1200 years.
From the early Abbasid era onwards it was deeply integrated into religious, political, and economic networks that joined the diverse regions of the Middle East into a Muslim community with shared artistic and cultural sensibilities. Bahrain was also a node in the vast maritime network that connected the Gulf and the Middle East with distant Muslim communities and trading partners in the western Indian Ocean region, including India, Sri Lanka and Africa, and as far afield as Southeast Asia and China. These Islamic and global connections, founded in the 2nd century of Islam, were retained and developed throughout the medieval period and into the modern era, and still resound today in the traditional art and architecture of Bahrain.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) decreed on November 18 of each year, an International Day of Islamic Art, after a proposal made by the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities in the name of the Kingdom of Bahrain during 2018, when Muharraq was the capital of Islamic culture. What is the significance of this day’s acknowledgement of artistic and creative mobility mean in Islamic countries and in other regions of the world?
The Arab and Islamic countries possess many historical treasures, literary knowledge and artistic innovations that have influenced a multitude of successive global civilizations over hundreds of years, and defining cultures with all these gains opens a new window for creating a civilizational and cultural dialogue between countries and the various peoples of the world, a dialogue that stands on solid ground as it is built on the foundations of understanding, coexistence and human acquaintance.
With the success of adopting an International Day for Islamic Arts, The Kingdom of Bahrain has been able to provide an annual and global opportunity to revive interest in the arts in the countries of the Arab and Islamic worlds, which leads to reviving the process of sustainable development and upgrading the economic level of Islamic societies, whose members have practiced these arts for many years and were able to incorporate it into all walks of public life and at various levels.
This global artistic event will display the works of seven artists from Islamic cultural backgrounds from the Gulf region, North Africa, Andalusia (Spain) and Southeast Asia, where the artists are inspired by Islamic heritage elements such as the Arabic language, traditional textures, handicrafts and others. The exhibition will also include works from the Collection of the Bahrain National Museum as well as loans from a number of private museums and collectors in the Kingdom.
KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA
AHMED ANGAWI
_____________
Ahmad Angawi, a multidisciplinary creative from Makkah born in 1981. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Design from Pratt Institute in New York and a Master’s degree in Traditional Arts from The Prince’s School of Traditional Arts in London. Being of Meccan roots, Angawi is inspired by the rich diversity of the culture of Hejaz. His work revolves around the human condition while also paying homage to culture, heritage and environment. Influenced by his father, Architect Dr. Sami Angawi, he has adopted the concept of “Al Mizan”, a belief in the fundamental principle of balance. For Ahmad, his constant pursuit of equilibrium in both design and its application is an attempt to bring balance to the human state of mind. During his travels across the Middle East, Angawi has focused on local traditional artisans and craftsmen, and studied their timehonored roles and their relationship to today’s mass-market productions. He strongly believes that industrial designers are the craftsmen of today.
Angawi is currently the Associate Director of Al Makmad Foundation, a cultural institution that aims to conserve and revive the Hejazi heritage. He is also the Founder of Zawiya 97 located in Al-Balad, the historical district of Jeddah. It is a hub of activity serving the local and wider community of artists and craftsmen. Angawi Teaches Geometry & woodwork and was the Program Director of Jameel House of Traditional Arts located in Al-Balad, the historical district of Jeddah. Angawi was also a Consultant and Program Researcher at the Saudi Commission for Tourism & National Heritage (SCTH) along with Turquoise Mountain, a nonprofit, non-governmental organization regenerating historic cities, and spurring the sustainable development of the traditional crafts industries. Ahmad is a cofounder of Al-Hangar, an independent artists’ initiative that provides a platform for dialogue and cultural exchange by way of exhibitions, community-oriented projects and educational programs.
TUNISIA
NJA MAHDAOUI
_____________
Nja Mahdaoui is a visual artist who considers himself ‘an explorer of signs’ and has been described as a ‘choreographer of letters’. His work inspired by Arabic calligraphy is remarkably innovative as the aesthetic dimension of letters
brings forth a sense of the poetic – highly rhythmic – arresting us with its rich abstracts compositions. Famous for his meticulous work in ink on parchment, Mahdaoui stresses the visual impact of his compositions, devoided of actual
textual meaning, which he refers to as ‘calligrams’ or ‘graphemes’.
Thus, the concept beyond the works reveals how the ideas are conveyed creatively through the artist choice of materials and medium: Canvas, vellum, papyrus, arches paper, silkscreen print, book, poster, design, sculpture, aluminium, brass, melamine, drum, textile, embroidery, tapestry, ceramic, wood, jewelry, stained steel glass, architecture, plane. Nja has been Jury member and Honor guest at many international events and biennales (Sharjah International Arabic Calligraphy Biennial, UAE, 2006, The International Arts Biennial of Tehran, Iran, 2006, Abu Dhabi Art Festival in 1989) and he was member of the International Jury of the Arts Prize of UNESCO from 1993 to 1995. He has received a number of distinctions and international awards, such as the ‘Great prize for Arts and Letters’ from the Tunisian Ministry of culture in 2006 and the UNESCO great prize for Artcrafts in the Arab world in 2005.
He designed monumental artworks such as sculptures and tapestries in Jeddah and Riyadh airports, Aramco head office in Dahran, KAUST University Campus Mosque in Saudi Arabia, Gulf Air aircrafts (50th Anniversary) and created many logos, designs and posters for theater plays, books, companies, and organizations such as Amnesty International in 1991.
KINGDOM OF BAHRAIN
GHADA KHUNJI
_____________
US educated photographer Ghada Khunji has recently returned to her home Bahrain after a 20 plus year sojourn in New York. Ghada Khunji is a graduate of the Parsons School of Design (1995) and the International Center of Photography’s documentary programme, both in New York. Her career as a documentary photographer blossomed whilst residing in New York from 1991 to 2013.Khunji’s photographs document both landscapes and people from all over the world and are known for the inherent dignity of their human element For this, she received a number of awards, including the Lucie Discovery of the Year (2006), American Photo Magazine’s Image of the Year Award
(2007), as well as the Golden Lights Award for Travel (2006).
After a career focused on fashion and then documentary photography, the return to Bahrain has led to a substantial shift in the artist’s focus. In recent years, Khunji has shifted her lens from the peripheral to explore her deepest contemplations on cultural identity and the perspective of women hailing from the Arabian Gulf. Her recent work, FaRIDA (2017), has received acclaim internationally, while Our Last Supper (2017) has toured the United States.
"BISMILLAH AR-RAHMAN AR-RAHEEM
Kãf-Ha-Ya-’Aĩn- Șãd
It is only befitting that I chose my muse to be the date palm tree.
Dates have been the staple food of the Middle East and its region for thousands of years. The palm has been represented artistically and in many artifacts of connecting civilizations. Dates are symbolic of life and fertility. For local civilizations such as the Babylonians and Assyrians, the date palm was considered as the Sacred Tree connecting heaven, represented by the crown of the tree, and earth, the base of the trunk. Dates have been significant in many religions including Islam, Christianity and Judaism.
In the holy Quran, they are mentioned numerous times. I was touched by Surah Maryam where it says: Then the pains of labour drove her to the trunk of a palm tree. She cried, “Alas! I wish I had died before this, and was a thing long forgotten!” So a voice reassured her from below her, “Do not grieve! Your Lord has provided a stream at your feet” And shake the trunk of this palm tree towards you, it will drop fresh, ripe dates upon you.
So eat and drink, and put your heart at ease. From this I envisioned the palm tree as a female, abundant in fertility providing nourishment to her children, the children of this World.
The bisht I have created is an homage to her. It is adorned with over 2000 date seeds creating an armor around her, and the spine is made of date palm leafs. She is the symbol of purity, strength, power and peace. She is a warrior, forever protecting humanity.”
KINGDOM OF BAHRAIN
EBRAHIM BUSAAD
_____________
Born in Muharraq, 1954, Ebrahim Busaad is a freelance professional artist and a founding member of the Bahrain Art Society. Ebrahim BuSaad was educated as an artist in University of Baghdad, Iraq where he earned a BA in Fine Arts. During his tenure at the Ministry of Education he designed and directed the printing of many book covers for many literatures, novels and children textbooks. BuSaad is a brilliant calligrapher and colorist, and both elements are always present in his paintings, drawings and prints. His work is inspired by his immediate surroundings – the alleys, people, old quarters and dhows that characterize the old town of Muharraq, where he was born. His body of works convey a clear passion for modern art and calligraphy, and he uses various innovative art techniques and tools to portray his work such as drawing, watercolor, acrylic paint, oil on canvas, etching silk screen, collages and installations as well as other methods.With a great zest for life, women, birds and musical instruments feature prominently in the artist’s oeuvre. Ebrahim Bu Saad’s work has been shown in Bahrain, the Cairo and Sharjah Biennales and is the recipient of the Al Dana Award (Bahrain) and the Golden Palm Award (Qatar).
“Since the ‘Ring of Dove’ is widely considered one of the most important heritage books, the expressive harmony between text and painting is necessary.
In these works, the drafting of the paintings depended on the legacy of traditional calligraphy paintings in the strict construction, composition and flow of manuscripts, using natural materials in preparing the paper and Islamic colors related to the design and drawings of the decorations. The passage of time was recreated on the painting, which gives a sense of antiquity and history. The Arabic calligraphy remains present and master of the situation in this experiment, which took a lot of effort and time to reach this limit of convergence between the text and the plastic wording.”
PAKISTAN
GHULAM MOHAMMED
_____________
Ghulam Mohammed was born in Zardad, Pakistan. The young Pakistani artist Ghulam Mohammed (b.1979) was catapulted to international prominence in 2016 when he won the coveted Jameel Prize, awarded by The Victoria & Albert Museum, London, the first Pakistani artist to do so. Upon graduating from school in Quetta, Ghulam enrolled in drawing classes at the Baluchistan Arts Council. This was an eye-opening experience as he discovered new artistic materials: oil paints, pastels and watercolors.
Trained in traditional miniature painting techniques in Pakistan and creates incredibly delicate collage works. His collages are assemblages of Urdu letters painstakingly cut from second hand books he buys in the markets of Lahore. By ‘freeing’ language from the page and attempting a playful reconstruction, he aims to enrich it with a new aesthetic meaning.
In addition to the Jameel Prize touring show which visited Istanbul, Turkey; Gwangju, Korea and Almaty, Khazakhstan, he has exhibited in Lahore, Karachi, Islamabad and Abu Dhabi.
”In my work, I have tried to explore the relationship between language and identity, in a cultural, historical, and contemporary context. As a Pakistani citizen, having to experience the decline of our national language in almost every sphere of life, has led me to revisit the relationship of this language with my own identity. The fractures that result within one’s own being, after one feels that he is slowly being dispossessed of a language, fragments the relationship that one has with one’s own self. This fragmentation, confusion, and disorder that seem inescapable and overpowering are what have informed my work. Carving out words and recomposing them is a cathartic act, in which I try to break language down into its most basic constituents and attempt a reconstruction of language and identity, trying to arrive at something more than just itself. The rediscovery of language by freeing it from the page where it is composed in a particular fashion and then recomposing it, changing its meaning, its character as language, is an act of plasticizing language to see what it has the potential to lead to.“
Tulip bowl. Glazed pottery
9th/10th cent. CE. Barbar Temple
Danish excavations, 1957
__________________
Colourful glazed bowls such as this were produced in southern Iraq in the 9th-10th centuries CE, and immediately became popular in Bahrain and elsewhere in the Islamic world. They were made using new technologies at a time of scientific innovation sponsored by the Abbasid court. This example was found in 1957 in a re-used well at the Barbar Temple.
Andalusia
ELIZABETH BOLZA
_____________
Elisabeth Bolza is of Austrian nationality and Italo- Hungarian descent. Born in Stuttgart in 1968 she spent her school years in Germany before studying Interior Design at the Instituto di Arte e Restauro in Florence. In 2009 she graduated with a diploma in Modern Literary Arabic at the Seville University’s Language Institute.
She has lived in Seville with her husband and three daughters since 1995 and is dedicated to researching the Islamic arts and civilisation while presenting her work in cultural and inter-religious projects and art fairs.
Her pictures are displayed in various private and Museum collections in Europe, Arabian countries and North America as well as Sidi M’chiche Alami Foundation in Kenitra, Morocco and the Tia Tanna Art Collection in Mumbai, India.
In 2017 she was nominated for the V&A Jameel Prize and has showcased a selection of her works at the ABCC (Arab British Chamber of Commerce) London. With the exhibition ‘Bolza Busaad - From Seville to Muharraq’ January
to April 2018, she became the first Western artist to exhibit in a solo show at the Bahrain National Museum.
“In my work process I meld the traditions of both East and West: I reclaim the illuminated manuscript for its association with the notions of transience and permanence and I attempt a new way of looking at the connective powers of old Islamic art forms and how they can relate to contemporary communication in the age of social networking. I reference my themes by borrowing from architecture, archaeology, geography and astronomy.
The undercurrent of my work is an appeal to our common humanity and shared universal human values. Through my symbiotic artistic expression of two entwined cultures, I hope to reach beyond the socio-political divisions of fundamentalism and islamophobia and motivate a positive change in the conception of ‘the other’ as culturally or spiritually impermeable. In my works I aim to appeal to the universal soul of our human condition, that which is within each of us and that transcends time and geographical space.“
MORROCO
LALLA ESSAYDI
_____________
Lalla Essaydi is a contemporary Moroccan photographer and painter. Her work focuses on Arabic female identity explored through a 19th-century Orientalist style, wherein the artist hand-paints Arabic calligraphy in henna on different surfaces, such as fabric, bodies, and walls. Her photographs address the complex reality of the power structures imposed on the Arab female body through a tradition-laden lens. Born in 1956 in Marrakech, Morocco, after a childhood and early adult life characterized by frequent relocation, Essaydi moved to Boston in 1996. She earned her BFA from Tufts University and a subsequent MFA at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in 2003. Her work has received worldwide critical acclaim, and is held and exhibited at institutions such as the National Museum of African Art in Washington, D.C. the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Fries Museum in the Netherlands.
”Les Femmes du Maroc expanded on the artist‘s exploration of the charged rhetoric of veiling and revealing which surrounds islamic women. The women in this series are thoroughly swathed in islamic calligraphy, painstakingly applied in henna which decorated their skin, their robes, and the interiors that surround them. But despite the demanding process, the women in the photographs participate because they feel they are contributing to the treating emancipation of Arab women and at the same time, conveying to a western audience a very rich tradition often misunderstood in the west. The henna/calligraphy can be seen as both a veil and as an expressive statement, yet the two are not so much in opposition as interwoven“
Single slab gravestone. Inscriptions on the four faces. Limestone
Illegible date. Bahrain
unspecified location
__________________
This gravestone, partly eroded, preserves high geometric elements at one end, and displays a shallow niche at the top. It was carved from a single limestone block. It is covered with elaborate calligraphic inscriptions, but the two long faces only are partially legible. Despite the absence of a written date, this gravestone can be likely attributed to the 16th century CE.
Handled miniature jug. Light green glass
Qal’at al-Bahrain Islamic settlement. 15th/16th cent. CE.
French Excavations, 2013
__________________
Compared to the very numerous and nearly intact glass containers yielded by the rich graves of the Tylos period, unbroken pieces are rarely found at ancient Islamic dwelling sites in Bahrain. Glass artefacts were, however, widely used during the Early and Middle Islamic phases of Bahraini his-tory. Imports from Egypt, the Levant, Syria, and probably Italy or India, are notably attested at Qal’at al-Bahrain. Wasters (scraps of melted glass) and fragments of glass moulds from this site also confirm local manufacture on the island.
Carved stucco panels
Unspecified Muharraq house
C. 18-19th cent. CE
__________________
Carved plaster panels were one of the main forms of decoration in elite Bahraini houses. They were used to decorate the walls inside important rooms inside the house, and occasionally set in the walls outside, especially around the entrance.
Fine gypsum plaster was used, carved with repeated geometric patterns according to the conventions of Islamic art.
Fatimid dinar, gold
10th century CE.
Bilad al-Qadeem
__________________
This well-preserved coin was found in a mixed residential and industrial area close to the Al-Khamis mosque. This gold dinar mentions the name of the Fatimid caliph Nazar al-Aziz, and was minted in 939 CE (379 AH) at Mansuriyya, near Kairouan (Tunisia). Its presence witnesses the links which existed at this time between the Carmathian occupants of Bahrain and the Fatimid caliphate, mostly controlling the Mediterranean coast of North Africa. Comparable gold coins are absent from the record in the rest of the Gulf region.
Persian fritware plate with geometric design
16th-17th CE. Qal’at al-Bahrain, Main Fortress
Bahraini / BACA excavations, 2001
__________________
The olive-green glaze on this plate was originally developed to imitate the colour of expensive Chinese green-glazed ceramics, usually known as celadon. At first, the Middle Eastern potters closely imitated the shape and decoration of Chinese celadon, but in later years they began to apply their own decorative techniques, in this case painted geometrical patterns beneath the glaze.
Abbasid dirham, silver.
Minted in al-Muhammadiya in 201 AH/816 CE (Caliph al-Mamûn).
Bahrain, unspecified context
__________________
Colourful glazed bowls such as this were produced in southern Iraq in the 9th-10th centuries CE, and immediately became popular in Bahrain and elsewhere in the Islamic world. They were made using new technologies at a time of scientific innovation sponsored by the Abbasid court. This example was found in 1957 in a re-used well at the Barbar Temple.
Wooden door. Teak
Second half of the 19th c. CE.
Muharraq
__________________
This elaborately carved wooden door with metal studs indicates the wealth and high status of its owner. Such doors were imported from India and Zanzibar and were carved by Indian craftsmen. This is a particularly fine example, probably made in Gujarat in the second half of the 19th century. The geometric decoration respects conservative Islamic rules against figurative images, and the symmetry of the precisely repeated motifs is highly characteristic of Islamic art.
Small cosmetic flask. Green glass
Qal’at al-Bahrain Islamic settlement. 15th/16th cent. CE.
French Excavations, 2014
__________________
Compared to the very numerous and nearly intact glass containers yielded by the rich graves of the Tylos period, unbroken pieces are rarely found at ancient Islamic dwelling sites in Bahrain. Glass artefacts were, however, widely used during the Early and Middle Islamic phases of Bahraini his-tory. Imports from Egypt, the Levant, Syria, and probably Italy or India, are notably attested at Qal’at al-Bahrain. Wasters (scraps of melted glass) and fragments of glass moulds from this site also confirm local manufacture on the island.
Three-handled water jar
16th-17th CE. Tree of Life settlement
Bahraini / BACA excavations, 2010-2011
__________________
Colourful glazed bowls such as this were produced in southern Iraq in the 9th-10th centuries CE, and immediately became popular in Bahrain and elsewhere in the Islamic world. They were made using new technologies at a time of scientific innovation sponsored by the Abbasid court. This example was found in 1957 in a re-used well at the Barbar Temple.
Low bowl. Glazed pottery, with calligraphic decoration
10th-12th c. CE. Bahrain,
unspecified location/excavation
__________________
This bowl with calligraphic decoration belongs to a range of ceramics produced across Iran and Central Asia in the 10th-12th centuries CE. It is known as Slip Painted Ware because the dark decoration was painted onto a pale coating (a « slip »). A transparent glaze was then applied over the decoration.
Three-handled jar, medium size, incised decoration
9th-11th c. CE. Aali
unspecified context
__________________
Jars with « turban handles » have been found in several places in Bahrain, including Aali, where this one was excavated, Barbar and Bilad Al-Qadim, which was then the capital of the Bahrain islands. This one may have been locally made, and similar examples are known from Iraq and Iran.
Ell Shifa Betareif Hukouk Al Mustafa by Al Qadhi Ayad Bin Musa Bin Ayad Al Yahsabi
died 544 AH / 1149 CE
Prophetic biography
__________________
This manuscript “Ell Shifa Betareif Hukouk Al Mustafa” by Al Qadhi Ayad Bin Musa Bin Ayad Al Yahsabi gained wide fame, in which the writer dealt with the biography of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, his moral merits, miracles, as an evidence of his prophethood. He tried to sheds more light on the personality of the Messenger, peace be upon him, as that biography included all the ethical attributes, actions, and sayings related to him.
Fragmentary Persian fritware plate with the head of a youth
16th-17th c. CE. Qal’at al-Bahrain, Main Fortress
Bahraini / BACA excavations, 2001
__________________
Persian pottery such as this plate often depicted the head of a youth. The design became particularly popular during the Safavid period (16th-early 18th c. CE), as seen here. The potter used an olive-green « imitation celadon » glaze, but this black, blue and white painted pattern would never have been seen on Chinese pottery.
Dala’il al-khayrât wa chawâriq al-anwâr fî zikr al-salât ala al-Nabî al-Moukhtâr by Muhammad ibn Sulaiman Al Jazūli
died 870 AH/1465 CE.
Manuscript with illuminations
__________________
The Dala’il al-Khayrât is the first major book in Islamic history which compiled litanies of peace and blessing upon the Prophet Muhammad. From the time of its authorship in 15th century CE Fez in Morocco, it swept throughout the whole of the Islamic World from North Africa to Indonesia. Historians recall that princes notably exchanged magnificent embellished copies of this famous book. The present copy, displaying exceptional miniatures and illuminations, and probably dated from the 19th century, was donated to the Bahrain National Museum by HH the late Shaikh Isa bin Salman Al-Khalifa.
Single slab gravestone. Inscriptions on the four faces. Limestone
1100 AH./1689 CE. Bahrain
unspecified location
__________________
The inscription on one of the long sides of this gravestone reproduces the 255th verse of the second sura of the Koran, the longest of the Holy Book. This famous verse, Ayat al-Kursi (“Throne Verse”), celebrates the glory of Allah. Another face of the stone mentions that « this is the grave of the one who went to the highest place of paradise, Haji Najm bin ‘Ali bin (Hiz…) God forgive him »
Small cosmetic flask. Dark green glass
Qal’at al-Bahrain Islamic settlement. 15th/16th cent. CE.
Danish Excavations, 1964
__________________
Compared to the very numerous and nearly intact glass containers yielded by the rich graves of the Tylos period, unbroken pieces are rarely found at ancient Islamic dwelling sites in Bahrain. Glass artefacts were, however, widely used during the Early and Middle Islamic phases of Bahraini his-tory. Imports from Egypt, the Levant, Syria, and probably Italy or India, are notably attested at Qal’at al-Bahrain. Wasters (scraps of melted glass) and fragments of glass moulds from this site also confirm local manufacture on the island.
Spouted jar with painted decoration
19th-20th c. CE. Bahrain
unspecified location
__________________
This water jar is an example of « Julfar Ware », which was made in Ras Al-Khaimah, UAE from the 13th to the mid 20th century AD. The people of the Gulf constantly carried out a lively trade by sea, carrying local and international goods, and this jar would have come to Bahrain on a local sailing dhow.
Handled water-jar
16th/17th CE. Tree of Life settlement
Bahraini / BACA excavations, 2010-2011
__________________
Most of the ceramics found in archaeological excavations at Islamic period sites are simple earthenwares such as this water jar. The majority were locally made. This one would have been used to hold water drawn from a well at the Tree of Life settlement.
Ummayad dirham, silver
Minted in Damascus in 82 AH/701 CE (Caliph Abd al-Malik bin Marwan)
unspecified context
__________________
The Ummayad caliphs did not control Bahrain and the surrounding region, but their silver coinage has nonetheless been found there. This shows that Bahrain played a part in the economy of the wider Islamic world.
Fragmentary goblet. Yellow brown glass
Qal’at al-Bahrain Islamic settlement. 15th/16th cent. CE.
Danish Excavations, 1964
__________________
Compared to the very numerous and nearly intact glass containers yielded by the rich graves of the Tylos period, unbroken pieces are rarely found at ancient Islamic dwelling sites in Bahrain. Glass artefacts were, however, widely used during the Early and Middle Islamic phases of Bahraini his-tory. Imports from Egypt, the Levant, Syria, and probably Italy or India, are notably attested at Qal’at al-Bahrain. Wasters (scraps of melted glass) and fragments of glass moulds from this site also confirm local manufacture on the island.
The Dala’il al-Khayrât is the first major book in Islamic history which compiled litanies of peace and blessing upon the Prophet Muhammad. From the time of its authorship in 15th century CE Fez in Morocco, it swept throughout the whole of the Islamic World from North Africa to Indonesia. Historians recall that princes notably exchanged magnificent embellished copies of this famous book. The present copy, displaying exceptional miniatures and illuminations, and probably dated from the 19th century, was donated to the Bahrain National Museum by HH the late Shaikh Isa bin Salman Al-Khalifa.
Dala’il al-khayrât wa chawâriq al-anwâr fî zikr al-salât ala al-Nabî al-Moukhtâr
by Muhammad ibn Sulaiman Al Jazūli (died 870 AH/1465 CE).
Manuscript with illuminations.
__________
Fatimid dinar, gold
10th century CE
Bilad al-Qadeem
__________
This well-preserved coin was found in a mixed residential and industrial area close to the Al-Khamis mosque. This gold dinar mentions the name of the Fatimid caliph Nazar al-Aziz, and was minted in 939 CE (379 AH) at Mansuriyya, near Kairouan (Tunisia). Its presence witnesses the links which existed at this time between the Carmathian occupants of Bahrain and the Fatimid caliphate, mostly controlling the Mediterranean coast of North Africa. Comparable gold coins are absent from the record in the rest of the Gulf region.
Wooden door. Teak
Second half of the 19th c. CE.
Muharraq
__________
This elaborately carved wooden door with metal studs indicates the wealth and high status of its owner. Such doors were imported from India and Zanzibar and were carved by Indian craftsmen. This is a particularly fine example, probably made in Gujarat in the second half of the 19th century. The geometric decoration respects conservative Islamic rules against figurative images, and the symmetry of the precisely repeated motifs is highly characteristic of Islamic art.
Abbasid dirham, silver
Minted in al-Muhammadiya in 201 AH/816 CE (Caliph al-Mamûn).
Bahrain, unspecified context
__________
Similarly to the Umayyad dynasty, the Abbasids were not able to control Bahrain for long, but both gold and silver Abbasid coinage is found in Bahrain. The establishment of the Abbasid court in Baghdad stimulated local economies and long-distance trade in the Gulf, and pearl fishing was already important in Bahrain. These would have provided a source of wealth at the time.
The Ummayad caliphs did not control Bahrain and the surrounding region, but their silver coinage has nonetheless been found there. This shows that Bahrain played a part in the economy of the wider Islamic world.
Ummayad dirham, silver
Minted in Damascus in 82 AH/701 CE (Caliph Abd al-Malik bin Marwan).
Bahrain, unspecified context
__________
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Ahmed Angawi
__________
Ahmad Angawi, a multidisciplinary creative from Makkah born in 1981. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Design from Pratt Institute in New York and a Master’s degree in Traditional Arts from The Prince’s School of Traditional Arts in London. Being of Meccan roots, Angawi is inspired by the rich diversity of the culture of Hejaz. His work revolves around the human condition while also paying homage to culture, heritage and environment. Influenced by his father, Architect Dr. Sami Angawi, he has adopted the concept of “Al Mizan”, a belief in the fundamental principle of balance. For Ahmad, his constant pursuit of equilibrium in both design and its application is an attempt to bring balance to the human state of mind. During his travels across the Middle East, Angawi has focused on local traditional artisans and craftsmen, and studied their timehonored roles and their relationship to today’s mass-market productions. He strongly believes that industrial designers are the craftsmen of today.
Angawi is currently the Associate Director of Al Makmad Foundation, a cultural institution that aims to conserve and revive the Hejazi heritage. He is also the Founder of Zawiya 97 located in Al-Balad, the historical district of Jeddah. It is a hub of activity serving the local and wider community of artists and craftsmen. Angawi Teaches Geometry & woodwork and was the Program Director of Jameel House of Traditional Arts located in Al-Balad, the historical district of Jeddah. Angawi was also a Consultant and Program Researcher at the Saudi Commission for Tourism & National Heritage (SCTH) along with Turquoise Mountain, a nonprofit, non-governmental organization regenerating historic cities, and spurring the sustainable development of the traditional crafts industries. Ahmad is a cofounder of Al-Hangar, an independent artists’ initiative that provides a platform for dialogue and cultural exchange by way of exhibitions, community-oriented projects and educational programs.
This manuscript “Ell Shifa Betareif Hukouk Al Mustafa” by Al Qadhi Ayad Bin Musa Bin Ayad Al Yahsabi gained wide fame, in which the writer dealt with the biography of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, his moral merits, miracles, as an evidence of his prophethood. He tried to sheds more light on the personality of the Messenger, peace be upon him, as that biography included all the ethical attributes, actions, and sayings related to him.
Ell Shifa Betareif Hukouk Al Mustafa
by Al Qadhi Ayad Bin Musa Bin Ayad Al Yahsabi, (died 544 AH / 1149 CE).
Prophetic biography
__________
Compared to the very numerous and nearly intact glass containers yielded by the rich graves of the Tylos period, unbroken pieces are rarely found at ancient Islamic dwelling sites in Bahrain. Glass artefacts were, however, widely used during the Early and Middle Islamic phases of Bahraini his-tory. Imports from Egypt, the Levant, Syria, and probably Italy or India, are notably attested at Qal’at al-Bahrain. Wasters (scraps of melted glass) and fragments of glass moulds from this site also confirm local manufacture on the island.
Small cosmetic flask. Green glass
Qal’at al-Bahrain Islamic settlement. 15th/16th cent. CE.
(French Excavations, 2014)
__________
Elisabeth Bolza is of Austrian nationality and Italo- Hungarian descent. Born in Stuttgart in 1968 she spent her school years in Germany before studying Interior Design at the Instituto di Arte e Restauro in Florence. In 2009 she graduated with a diploma in Modern Literary Arabic at the Seville University’s Language Institute.
She has lived in Seville with her husband and three daughters since 1995 and is dedicated to researching the Islamic arts and civilisation while presenting her work in cultural and inter-religious projects and art fairs.
Her pictures are displayed in various private and Museum collections in Europe, Arabian countries and North America as well as Sidi M’chiche Alami Foundation in Kenitra, Morocco and the Tia Tanna Art Collection in Mumbai, India.
In 2017 she was nominated for the V&A Jameel Prize and has showcased a selection of her works at the ABCC (Arab British Chamber of Commerce) London. With the exhibition ‘Bolza Busaad - From Seville to Muharraq’ January to April 2018, she became the first Western artist to exhibit in a solo show at the Bahrain National Museum.
“In my work process I meld the traditions of both East and West: I reclaim the illuminated manuscript for its association with the notions of transience and permanence and I attempt a new way of looking at the connective powers of old Islamic art forms and how they can relate to contemporary communication in the age of social networking. I reference my themes by borrowing from architecture, archaeology, geography and astronomy.
The undercurrent of my work is an appeal to our common humanity and shared universal human values. Through my symbiotic artistic expression of two entwined cultures, I hope to reach beyond the socio-political divisions of fundamentalism and islamophobia and motivate a positive change in the conception of ‘the other’ as culturally or spiritually impermeable. In my works I aim to appeal to the universal soul of our human condition, that which is within each of us and that transcends time and geographical space.“
Andalusia
Elizabeth Bolza
__________
Tunisia
Nja Mahdaoui
__________
Nja Mahdaoui is a visual artist who considers himself ‘an explorer of signs’ and has been described as a ‘choreographer of letters’. His work inspired by Arabic calligraphy is remarkably innovative as the aesthetic dimension of letters brings forth a sense of the poetic – highly rhythmic – arresting us with its rich abstracts compositions. Famous for his meticulous work in ink on parchment, Mahdaoui stresses the visual impact of his compositions, devoided of actual textual meaning, which he refers to as ‘calligrams’ or ‘graphemes’.
Thus, the concept beyond the works reveals how the ideas are conveyed creatively through the artist choice of materials and medium: Canvas, vellum, papyrus, arches paper, silkscreen print, book, poster, design, sculpture, aluminium, brass, melamine, drum, textile, embroidery, tapestry, ceramic, wood, jewelry, stained steel glass, architecture, plane. Nja has been Jury member and Honor guest at many international events and biennales (Sharjah International Arabic Calligraphy Biennial, UAE, 2006, The International Arts Biennial of Tehran, Iran, 2006, Abu Dhabi Art Festival in 1989) and he was member of the International Jury of the Arts Prize of UNESCO from 1993 to 1995. He has received a number of distinctions and international awards, such as the ‘Great prize for Arts and Letters’ from the Tunisian Ministry of culture in 2006 and the UNESCO great prize for Artcrafts in the Arab world in 2005.
He designed monumental artworks such as sculptures and tapestries in Jeddah and Riyadh airports, Aramco head office in Dahran, KAUST University Campus Mosque in Saudi Arabia, Gulf Air aircrafts (50th Anniversary) and created many logos, designs and posters for theater plays, books, companies, and organizations such as Amnesty International in 1991.
Pakistan
Ghulam Mohammed
__________
Ghulam Mohammed was born in Zardad, Pakistan. The young Pakistani artist Ghulam Mohammed (b.1979) was catapulted to international prominence in 2016 when he won the coveted Jameel Prize, awarded by The Victoria & Albert Museum, London, the first Pakistani artist to do so. Upon graduating from school in Quetta, Ghulam enrolled in drawing classes at the Baluchistan Arts Council. This was an eye-opening experience as he discovered new artistic materials: oil paints, pastels and watercolors.
Trained in traditional miniature painting techniques in Pakistan and creates incredibly delicate collage works. His collages are assemblages of Urdu letters painstakingly cut from second hand books he buys in the markets of Lahore. By ‘freeing’ language from the page and attempting a playful reconstruction, he aims to enrich it with a new aesthetic meaning.
In addition to the Jameel Prize touring show which visited Istanbul, Turkey; Gwangju, Korea and Almaty, Khazakhstan, he has exhibited in Lahore, Karachi, Islamabad and Abu Dhabi.
”In my work, I have tried to explore the relationship between language and identity, in a cultural, historical, and contemporary context. As a Pakistani citizen, having to experience the decline of our national language in almost every sphere of life, has led me to revisit the relationship of this language with my own identity. The fractures that result within one’s own being, after one feels that he is slowly being dispossessed of a language, fragments the relationship that one has with one’s own self. This fragmentation, confusion, and disorder that seem inescapable and overpowering are what have informed my work. Carving out words and recomposing them is a cathartic act, in which I try to break language down into its most basic constituents and attempt a reconstruction of language and identity, trying to arrive at something more than just itself. The rediscovery of language by freeing it from the page where it is composed in a particular fashion and then recomposing it, changing its meaning, its character as language, is an act of plasticizing language to see what it has the potential to lead to.“
Small cosmetic flask. Dark green glass
Qal’at al-Bahrain Islamic settlement. 15th/16th cent. CE.
(Danish Excavations, 1964)
__________
Compared to the very numerous and nearly intact glass containers yielded by the rich graves of the Tylos period, unbroken pieces are rarely found at ancient Islamic dwelling sites in Bahrain. Glass artefacts were, however, widely used during the Early and Middle Islamic phases of Bahraini his-tory. Imports from Egypt, the Levant, Syria, and probably Italy or India, are notably attested at Qal’at al-Bahrain. Wasters (scraps of melted glass) and fragments of glass moulds from this site also confirm local manufacture on the island.
Handled miniature jug. Light green glass
Qal’at al-Bahrain Islamic settlement. 15th/16th cent. CE.
(French Excavations, 2013)
__________
Compared to the very numerous and nearly intact glass containers yielded by the rich graves of the Tylos period, unbroken pieces are rarely found at ancient Islamic dwelling sites in Bahrain. Glass artefacts were, however, widely used during the Early and Middle Islamic phases of Bahraini his-tory. Imports from Egypt, the Levant, Syria, and probably Italy or India, are notably attested at Qal’at al-Bahrain. Wasters (scraps of melted glass) and fragments of glass moulds from this site also confirm local manufacture on the island.
Fragmentary goblet. Yellow brown glass
Qal’at al-Bahrain Islamic settlement. 15th/16th cent. CE.
(Danish Excavations, 1964)
__________
Compared to the very numerous and nearly intact glass containers yielded by the rich graves of the Tylos period, unbroken pieces are rarely found at ancient Islamic dwelling sites in Bahrain. Glass artefacts were, however, widely used
during the Early and Middle Islamic phases of Bahraini his-tory. Imports from Egypt, the Levant, Syria, and probably Italy or India, are notably attested at Qal’at al-Bahrain. Wasters (scraps of melted glass) and fragments of glass moulds from this site also confirm local manufacture on the island.
The inscription on one of the long sides of this gravestone reproduces the 255th verse of the second sura of the Koran, the longest of the Holy Book. This famous verse, Ayat al-Kursi (“Throne Verse”), celebrates the glory of Allah. Another face of the stone mentions that «this is the grave of the one who went to the highest place of paradise, Haji Najm bin ‘Ali bin (Hiz…) God forgive him».
Single slab gravestone. Inscriptions on the four faces
Limestone,
1100 AH./1689 CE. Bahrain, unspecified location
__________
Carved stucco panels
Unspecified Muharraq house,
18-19th cent. CE
__________
Carved plaster panels were one of the main forms of decoration in elite Bahraini houses. They were used to decorate the walls inside important rooms inside the house, and occasionally set in the walls outside, especially around the entrance.
Fine gypsum plaster was used, carved with repeated geometric patterns according to the conventions of Islamic art.
This gravestone, partly eroded, preserves high geometric elements at one end, and displays a shallow niche at the top. It was carved from a single limestone block. It is covered with elaborate calligraphic inscriptions, but the two long faces only are partially legible. Despite the absence of a written date, this gravestone can be likely attributed to the 16th century CE.
Single slab gravestone. Inscriptions on the four faces.
Limestone,
Illegible date. Bahrain, unspecified location
__________
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Ahmed Angawi
__________
Ahmad Angawi, a multidisciplinary creative from Makkah born in 1981. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Design from Pratt Institute in New York and a Master’s degree in Traditional Arts from The Prince’s School of Traditional Arts in London. Being of Meccan roots, Angawi is inspired by the rich diversity of the culture of Hejaz. His work revolves around the human condition while also paying homage to culture, heritage and environment. Influenced by his father, Architect Dr. Sami Angawi, he has adopted the concept of “Al Mizan”, a belief in the fundamental principle of balance. For Ahmad, his constant pursuit of equilibrium in both design and its application is an attempt to bring balance to the human state of mind. During his travels across the Middle East, Angawi has focused on local traditional artisans and craftsmen, and studied their timehonored roles and their relationship to today’s mass-market productions. He strongly believes that industrial designers are the craftsmen of today.
Angawi is currently the Associate Director of Al Makmad Foundation, a cultural institution that aims to conserve and revive the Hejazi heritage. He is also the Founder of Zawiya 97 located in Al-Balad, the historical district of Jeddah. It is a hub of activity serving the local and wider community of artists and craftsmen. Angawi Teaches Geometry & woodwork and was the Program Director of Jameel House of Traditional Arts located in Al-Balad, the historical district of Jeddah. Angawi was also a Consultant and Program Researcher at the Saudi Commission for Tourism & National Heritage (SCTH) along with Turquoise Mountain, a nonprofit, non-governmental organization regenerating historic cities, and spurring the sustainable development of the traditional crafts industries. Ahmad is a cofounder of Al-Hangar, an independent artists’ initiative that provides a platform for dialogue and cultural exchange by way of exhibitions, community-oriented projects and educational programs.
KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA
AHMED ANGAWI
_____________
Ahmad Angawi, a multidisciplinary creative from Makkah born in 1981. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Design from Pratt Institute in New York and a Master’s degree in Traditional Arts from The Prince’s School of Traditional Arts in London. Being of Meccan roots, Angawi is inspired by the rich diversity of the culture of Hejaz. His work revolves around the human condition while also paying homage to culture, heritage and environment. Influenced by his father, Architect Dr. Sami Angawi, he has adopted the concept of “Al Mizan”, a belief in the fundamental principle of balance. For Ahmad, his constant pursuit of equilibrium in both design and its application is an attempt to bring balance to the human state of mind. During his travels across the Middle East, Angawi has focused on local traditional artisans and craftsmen, and studied their timehonored roles and their relationship to today’s mass-market productions. He strongly believes that industrial designers are the craftsmen of today.
Angawi is currently the Associate Director of Al Makmad Foundation, a cultural institution that aims to conserve and revive the Hejazi heritage. He is also the Founder of Zawiya 97 located in Al-Balad, the historical district of Jeddah. It is a hub of activity serving the local and wider community of artists and craftsmen. Angawi Teaches Geometry & woodwork and was the Program Director of Jameel House of Traditional Arts located in Al-Balad, the historical district of Jeddah. Angawi was also a Consultant and Program Researcher at the Saudi Commission for Tourism & National Heritage (SCTH) along with Turquoise Mountain, a nonprofit, non-governmental organization regenerating historic cities, and spurring the sustainable development of the traditional crafts industries. Ahmad is a cofounder of Al-Hangar, an independent artists’ initiative that provides a platform for dialogue and cultural exchange by way of exhibitions, community-oriented projects and educational programs.
Ahmad Angawi, a multidisciplinary creative from Makkah born in 1981. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Design from Pratt Institute in New York and a Master’s degree in Traditional Arts from The Prince’s School of Traditional Arts in London. Being of Meccan roots, Angawi is inspired by the rich diversity of the culture of Hejaz. His work revolves around the human condition while also paying homage to culture, heritage and environment. Influenced by his father, Architect Dr. Sami Angawi, he has adopted the concept of “Al Mizan”, a belief in the fundamental principle of balance. For Ahmad, his constant pursuit of equilibrium in both design and its application is an attempt to bring balance to the human state of mind. During his travels across the Middle East, Angawi has focused on local traditional artisans and craftsmen, and studied their timehonored roles and their relationship to today’s mass-market productions. He strongly believes that industrial designers are the craftsmen of today.
Angawi is currently the Associate Director of Al Makmad Foundation, a cultural institution that aims to conserve and revive the Hejazi heritage. He is also the Founder of Zawiya 97 located in Al-Balad, the historical district of Jeddah. It is a hub of activity serving the local and wider community of artists and craftsmen. Angawi Teaches Geometry & woodwork and was the Program Director of Jameel House of Traditional Arts located in Al-Balad, the historical district of Jeddah. Angawi was also a Consultant and Program Researcher at the Saudi Commission for Tourism & National Heritage (SCTH) along with Turquoise Mountain, a nonprofit, non-governmental organization regenerating historic cities, and spurring the sustainable development of the traditional crafts industries. Ahmad is a cofounder of Al-Hangar, an independent artists’ initiative that provides a platform for dialogue and cultural exchange by way of exhibitions, community-oriented projects and educational programs.
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Ahmed Angawi
__________
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Ahmed Angawi
__________
Ahmad Angawi, a multidisciplinary creative from Makkah born in 1981. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Design from Pratt Institute in New York and a Master’s degree in Traditional Arts from The Prince’s School of Traditional Arts in London. Being of Meccan roots, Angawi is inspired by the rich diversity of the culture of Hejaz. His work revolves around the human condition while also paying homage to culture, heritage and environment. Influenced by his father, Architect Dr. Sami Angawi, he has adopted the concept of “Al Mizan”, a belief in the fundamental principle of balance. For Ahmad, his constant pursuit of equilibrium in both design and its application is an attempt to bring balance to the human state of mind. During his travels across the Middle East, Angawi has focused on local traditional artisans and craftsmen, and studied their timehonored roles and their relationship to today’s mass-market productions. He strongly believes that industrial designers are the craftsmen of today.
Angawi is currently the Associate Director of Al Makmad Foundation, a cultural institution that aims to conserve and revive the Hejazi heritage. He is also the Founder of Zawiya 97 located in Al-Balad, the historical district of Jeddah. It is a hub of activity serving the local and wider community of artists and craftsmen. Angawi Teaches Geometry & woodwork and was the Program Director of Jameel House of Traditional Arts located in Al-Balad, the historical district of Jeddah. Angawi was also a Consultant and Program Researcher at the Saudi Commission for Tourism & National Heritage (SCTH) along with Turquoise Mountain, a nonprofit, non-governmental organization regenerating historic cities, and spurring the sustainable development of the traditional crafts industries. Ahmad is a cofounder of Al-Hangar, an independent artists’ initiative that provides a platform for dialogue and cultural exchange by way of exhibitions, community-oriented projects and educational programs.
KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA
AHMED ANGAWI
_____________
Ahmad Angawi, a multidisciplinary creative from Makkah born in 1981. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Design from Pratt Institute in New York and a Master’s degree in Traditional Arts from The Prince’s School of Traditional Arts in London. Being of Meccan roots, Angawi is inspired by the rich diversity of the culture of Hejaz. His work revolves around the human condition while also paying homage to culture, heritage and environment. Influenced by his father, Architect Dr. Sami Angawi, he has adopted the concept of “Al Mizan”, a belief in the fundamental principle of balance. For Ahmad, his constant pursuit of equilibrium in both design and its application is an attempt to bring balance to the human state of mind. During his travels across the Middle East, Angawi has focused on local traditional artisans and craftsmen, and studied their timehonored roles and their relationship to today’s mass-market productions. He strongly believes that industrial designers are the craftsmen of today.
Angawi is currently the Associate Director of Al Makmad Foundation, a cultural institution that aims to conserve and revive the Hejazi heritage. He is also the Founder of Zawiya 97 located in Al-Balad, the historical district of Jeddah. It is a hub of activity serving the local and wider community of artists and craftsmen. Angawi Teaches Geometry & woodwork and was the Program Director of Jameel House of Traditional Arts located in Al-Balad, the historical district of Jeddah. Angawi was also a Consultant and Program Researcher at the Saudi Commission for Tourism & National Heritage (SCTH) along with Turquoise Mountain, a nonprofit, non-governmental organization regenerating historic cities, and spurring the sustainable development of the traditional crafts industries. Ahmad is a cofounder of Al-Hangar, an independent artists’ initiative that provides a platform for dialogue and cultural exchange by way of exhibitions, community-oriented projects and educational programs.
KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA
AHMED ANGAWI
_____________
Ahmad Angawi, a multidisciplinary creative from Makkah born in 1981. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Design from Pratt Institute in New York and a Master’s degree in Traditional Arts from The Prince’s School of Traditional Arts in London. Being of Meccan roots, Angawi is inspired by the rich diversity of the culture of Hejaz. His work revolves around the human condition while also paying homage to culture, heritage and environment. Influenced by his father, Architect Dr. Sami Angawi, he has adopted the concept of “Al Mizan”, a belief in the fundamental principle of balance. For Ahmad, his constant pursuit of equilibrium in both design and its application is an attempt to bring balance to the human state of mind. During his travels across the Middle East, Angawi has focused on local traditional artisans and craftsmen, and studied their timehonored roles and their relationship to today’s mass-market productions. He strongly believes that industrial designers are the craftsmen of today.
Angawi is currently the Associate Director of Al Makmad Foundation, a cultural institution that aims to conserve and revive the Hejazi heritage. He is also the Founder of Zawiya 97 located in Al-Balad, the historical district of Jeddah. It is a hub of activity serving the local and wider community of artists and craftsmen. Angawi Teaches Geometry & woodwork and was the Program Director of Jameel House of Traditional Arts located in Al-Balad, the historical district of Jeddah. Angawi was also a Consultant and Program Researcher at the Saudi Commission for Tourism & National Heritage (SCTH) along with Turquoise Mountain, a nonprofit, non-governmental organization regenerating historic cities, and spurring the sustainable development of the traditional crafts industries. Ahmad is a cofounder of Al-Hangar, an independent artists’ initiative that provides a platform for dialogue and cultural exchange by way of exhibitions, community-oriented projects and educational programs.