PAST

“The Silence Between Us” 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.
Laid out as a cycle in and of itself, the exhibition opens and closes with Awartani’s recent installation, ‘Listen to My Words’ (2018), which consists of seven screens of hand embroidered silk panels inspired by the “Jali” screen, an architectural form allowing airflow in buildings but also preventing unwanted views into them. Each screen is associated with a line of poetry from female poets of the Arab world throughout history, starting with Jahiliyyah, on through the 14th century that alternate throughout the darkened room. Other pieces include ‘Love is my Law, Love is my Faith’ (2016), inspired by the love poems of Ibn Arabi and a progressive drawing from her Caliphates series that shows the evolution of the tradition of illumination throughout the history of the art.
In addition to these works, new pieces have been developed in collaboration with craftsmen in India over four months leading up to the show. These include a new hanging installation in glass, ‘To See and Not Be Seen’ (2018) and an embroidered-textile piece that continues her interest in the history of female poets in the Arab world.