Through me
Contemporary artists tend to be inspired by others to produce uniquely hybrid artwork. This means that to be unique, you have to catch other elements artistically in order to show the message of everything being all together. From my point of view, I do not think that hybridization will erase cultures if it is always referred to. Others can inspire people, but individuals have to preserve their intellectual rights. Hybridization in art might be one, and possibly the only, solution which can resolve local multi-culturalism in contemporary art.
I have tried to express my identity through my work; at the start, I tried to hybridize Saudi culture with a European artist: Piet Mondrian. I chose him because he is known for being one of the pioneers of twentieth-century abstract art, as he changed his artistic direction from figurative painting to an increasingly abstract style until he reached a point where his artistic vocabulary was reduced to simple geometric elements. I chose abstract art because in some ways it has a similar nature to Islamic art and Saudi patterns and layout. They use a visual language of shape, form, colour and line to create a composition which can exist with a degree of independence from visual references without using human figures. I use traditional Saudi fabrics for men and women to show the dynamic relationship between them which builds our society.
The other artwork is an installation of two pieces: a hanging circular sculpture and a reflective surface. The aim of the work is to show the collaborative participation between men and women in Saudi Arabia to build our civilization and how it has been seen in the world. The sculpture is formed of two overlapping embroidered rings as a symbol of the role of woman in building our society, women play a fundamental role. On top of one ring there are many camels as a symbol of man; a Saudi man bears on his back all his family’s responsibilities, he is strong, in my opinion and he can go three days without water. On the other ring there are many traditional eye-liners which were used in the past as a symbol of woman; Saudi women look after themselves and their husbands, but they still have their ‘royal’ chair.
The whole sculpture is gilded with gold leaf as a symbol of ancient wealth over a black ground; oil is the ‘black gold’. The sculpture hangs from the ceiling and moves naturally to touch the black plinth which has on its top gold powder.•• When the hanging sculpture touches the surface, the powder is blown onto the reflective background to depict how others can see our society.
The surface has been touched by the sculpture, and end up with natural drawing
I designed it using illustrator, It is apart of the Kiswa: the silk fabric covering the Ka’ba. Then by laser cutting, I designed the cube and I geld it with gold leaf.
