Romina Khanom: An Installation of Hanging Carpets

The shapes, light and shadows create a maze like onsite installation

Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, member of the Supreme Council and ruler of Sharjah, the Cultural Affairs Department at the Sharjah Department of Culture has organised the 20th Edition of the Sharjah Islamic Arts Festival.

'Untitled', the installation of hanging carpets made by Romina Khanom is on view at the Sharjah Art Museum as part of the Sharjah Islamic Arts Festival 2017/18.

Romina Khanom cuts Islamic geometric pattern into the carpets and then hangs them to create a maze like onsite installation. She uses the shapes, light and shadows to invite visitors to look through the patterns and experience a different view. While carpet making is close to her South Asian heritage, it is combined with Islamic geometry to play a significant role in the overall experience, as we sense the relations between two types of patterns, the one on the carpets and the one that is cut-out by the artist. The design on the carpets is mainly floral which gives an additional contrast between the fluid, organic design of the carpets and the geometric shapes cut by the artist.

Khanom told us that she prefers to make the cut-outs by hand, using a precision knife, which adds organic feel as the edges are not perfect, just like human beings are not perfect. For this installation, however, she used laser cutting so the patterns are straight and mathematically even and sharp.

Through the series 'Untitled' that she started years ago, while still studying, the artist is on a quest for her identity. Growing up British, while retaining strong South Asian heritage and balancing both cultures with the intricacies of Islam has profoundly impacted the prism through which Khanom views the world.

Romina Khanom discusses her work with Sheikh Abdullah bin Salem Al Qasimi at the opening of the exhibition / Photo Â© Islamic Arts Magazine

Romina Khanom / Photo Â© Islamic Arts Magazine

Romina Khanom, Untitled, installation view / Photo Â© Islamic Arts Magazine

Romina Khanom, Untitled, detail / Photo Â© Islamic Arts Magazine

Romina Khanom, Untitled, installation view / Photo Â© Islamic Arts Magazine

Romina Khanom explains, "My work is rooted in the ongoing explorations of Islamic art, the culture of the Middle East and Asia. I use Islam as my tool, my source and my inspiration. It connects me to my work on a spiritual level and allows me to engross myself in geometry and patterns that expand as I work."

Sharjah Islamic Arts Festival 2017/18 opened on December 13, 2017 and will run until January 23, 2018. Many exhibitions and large scale installations are on view at the Sharjah Art Museum, and on other venues such as Al Majaz Waterfront, Al Majaz Amphitheatre, Awqaf Department, Al Qasba, Maraya Art Centre, and Calligraphy Square.