By Your Coming We Are Healed
2020
The New Art Gallery Walsall Permanent Collection
2020
The New Art Gallery Walsall Permanent Collection
In response to the first national lockdown in 2020, The New Art Gallery Walsall initiated a series of remote residencies to support artists to produce work from their homes.
Moledina undertook the first Stay at Home residency in May 2020. Her residency coincided with Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting, prayer, reflection and celebration.
Family, friends and communities traditionally come together at the end of the day to share food and celebrate the breaking of the fast (Iftar). She responded to the experience of Ramadan during lockdown and used the residency to develop alternative celebrations, hosting virtual Iftars, shared through social media to encourage participation and interaction.
The sharing of plates of food is an important aspect of Ramadan tradition for Muslims. During Ramadan in the first lockdown in 2020, as Muslims were unable to share food physically, Moledina wanted to preserve this custom virtually.
Using images of the dishes she had been sent over the course of the month, she created a pattern inspired by the Islamic design principles of symmetry, abstraction and recurrence. This design is particularly inspired by the 8 point star in Islamic geometry, which is made from two squares overlapping. She used this pattern to create two sufras (a floor mat used for communal dining) One sufra is to be used for display, and the second is a handling version that can be used for its intended purpose - for communal eating, resting and reflecting.
It isn't immediately obvious that that the pattern is made from images of plates of food. The work requires contemplation to reveal its true meaning and depth. As the viewer identifies the different layers within the pattern, they begin to gain an understanding of the importance of Ramadan and community.
Over the 29 days of Ramadan Moledina received over 350 images from 96 different contributors, living in 8 different countries.
Moledina undertook the first Stay at Home residency in May 2020. Her residency coincided with Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting, prayer, reflection and celebration.
Family, friends and communities traditionally come together at the end of the day to share food and celebrate the breaking of the fast (Iftar). She responded to the experience of Ramadan during lockdown and used the residency to develop alternative celebrations, hosting virtual Iftars, shared through social media to encourage participation and interaction.
The sharing of plates of food is an important aspect of Ramadan tradition for Muslims. During Ramadan in the first lockdown in 2020, as Muslims were unable to share food physically, Moledina wanted to preserve this custom virtually.
Using images of the dishes she had been sent over the course of the month, she created a pattern inspired by the Islamic design principles of symmetry, abstraction and recurrence. This design is particularly inspired by the 8 point star in Islamic geometry, which is made from two squares overlapping. She used this pattern to create two sufras (a floor mat used for communal dining) One sufra is to be used for display, and the second is a handling version that can be used for its intended purpose - for communal eating, resting and reflecting.
It isn't immediately obvious that that the pattern is made from images of plates of food. The work requires contemplation to reveal its true meaning and depth. As the viewer identifies the different layers within the pattern, they begin to gain an understanding of the importance of Ramadan and community.
Over the 29 days of Ramadan Moledina received over 350 images from 96 different contributors, living in 8 different countries.