An Ode to Ornament by Julia Ibbini

Old designs created with modern tools

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 'An Ode to Ornament' 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 exhibition was on view at the Sharjah Art Museum until January 19, 2019.

Julia Ibbini presents her work / Photo Â© Islamic Arts Magazine

The British-Jordanian artist, Julia Ibbini (1980), grew up surrounded by Islamic motifs and patterns which contributed to creating her strong artistic sense. As a designer, she discovered her love towards ornaments. She uses a computer to create her compositions and then with the laser-cutting she cuts every little detail which she combines in her composition. Each part of the design is heavily layered with intriguing details.

"The approach in the actual presentation of the works is quite fluid - a more abstract interaction with a great deal of improvisation. I am often unsure of the final outcome - the surprise at the end result is part of the appeal. Drawing inspiration from across centuries and cultures - using machines and computer code as a way to present a contemporary visual language of my own, explains Julia Ibbini.