SHARJAH ISLAMIC ARTS FESTIVAL (SIAF) 2018-19 All [heavenly bodies] swim along, each in its orbit by Dana Awartani

Under the patronage of HH Sheikh Dr. Sultan Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member, Ruler of Sharjah, the Cultural Affairs Department at the Sharjah Department of Culture has organized the 21st edition of the Sharjah Islamic Arts Festival (SIAF). As part of SIAF the exhibition ‘All [heavenly bodies] swim along, each in its orbit’ was inaugurated by Sheikh Abdullah bin Salem Al Qasimi, Deputy Ruler of Sharjah; Mohammed Al Qaseer, Director of the Department of Cultural Affairs, Farah Qassim Mohammed, Islamic Arts Festival Executive and the respected guests.

The artist exhibited her work at two venues 'The Silence Between Us' at the Maraya Art Centre and ‘All [heavenly bodies] swim along, each in its orbit’ at the Sharjah Art Museum.

'The Silence Between Us', curated by Laura Metzler, brings together pieces from the artist’s practice through her use of layering and the evocation of time through different materials to open channels for new interpretations and experiences of her practice. Poetry and light become key tools to both figuratively and (at times) literally reading her work, holding central roles in her exploration of the civilizational legacies that inspire her.

The exhibition ‘All [heavenly bodies] swim along, each in its orbit’ was inspired by the Quranic verse which gives the work its title, and is one of only two palindromes in the Holy book. Pulling from the intellectual tradition of the science of letters ('Ilm al-huruf) that has spanned generations of Sufi scholars, Awartani seeks a new method of expressing the power of this linguistic arrangement and property of Arabic Alphabet by applying her Abjad Hawaz system (alphabetical order and numerical value) to create a symbolic form.

Dana Awartani presents her work / Photo (c) Islamic Arts Magazine

Dana Awartani, ‘All [heavenly bodies] swim along, each in its orbit’ / Photo (c) Islamic Arts Magazine

Dana Awartani, ‘All [heavenly bodies] swim along, each in its orbit’ / Photo (c) Islamic Arts Magazine

Dana Awartani, ‘All [heavenly bodies] swim along, each in its orbit’ / Photo (c) Islamic Arts Magazine

Dana Awartani, ‘All [heavenly bodies] swim along, each in its orbit’ / Photo (c) Islamic Arts Magazine

Dana Awartani, ‘All [heavenly bodies] swim along, each in its orbit’ / Photo (c) Islamic Arts Magazine

Dana Awartani, ‘All [heavenly bodies] swim along, each in its orbit’ / Photo (c) Islamic Arts Magazine

Dana Awartani, ‘All [heavenly bodies] swim along, each in its orbit’ / Photo (c) Islamic Arts Magazine

Dana Awartani, ‘All [heavenly bodies] swim along, each in its orbit’ / Photo (c) Islamic Arts Magazine

Dana Awartani, ‘All [heavenly bodies] swim along, each in its orbit’ / Photo (c) Islamic Arts Magazine

Awartani lives and works in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and has developed a practice by blending her conceptual training at Central Saint Martins with her traditional craft study at the Prince’s School of Traditional Art, thus creating a dialogue between the past and the present. She does this through a combination of textile, woodwork, and glass production methods that are particularly still active in India, as well as her manuscript illuminations. Through these mediums, light activates, distorts or reveals at different turns throughout the gallery space as the viewer encounters each piece.