There is still living here
2023
The work aims to deconstruct Orientalist tropes surrounding Muslim women in the 19th century and the spaces they would inhabit. It particularly seeks to subvert the Orientalist concept of the harem by creating a space that is used for rest and creativity, for social interaction and intellectual reflection.
Inspired by the interiors in 19th Century paintings such as in pieces by Delcroix, John Frederick Lewis, Fabio Fabbi, Benjamin Constant and Jean-Léon Gérôme, the work takes the form of a majlis (a floor based space for social interaction). The piece is composed of patterned fabrics that, at first glance, appear decorative and opulent. Upon closer reflection, the patterns are made from elements of Orientalist artworks and text that challenge Orientalist narratives.
The elements featured in the pattern include sections from Delacroix's Women of Algiers in their apartment (1834), Gerome's After the bath (c.1881), Lewis' Hhareem (c.1850), and Constant's A Royal Palace in Morocco (c.1880).
The installation includes a selection of hand embroidery materials that audiences can use to make their mark on a communal piece of fabric, allowing for the piece to evolve throughout the exhibition, and to encourage creativity and making within the space.
Image credit for images of Majlis in use: Threads: Breathing stories into materials, preview July 2023. Image by Lisa Whiting Photographt for Arnolfini. All rights reserved.
2023
The work aims to deconstruct Orientalist tropes surrounding Muslim women in the 19th century and the spaces they would inhabit. It particularly seeks to subvert the Orientalist concept of the harem by creating a space that is used for rest and creativity, for social interaction and intellectual reflection.
Inspired by the interiors in 19th Century paintings such as in pieces by Delcroix, John Frederick Lewis, Fabio Fabbi, Benjamin Constant and Jean-Léon Gérôme, the work takes the form of a majlis (a floor based space for social interaction). The piece is composed of patterned fabrics that, at first glance, appear decorative and opulent. Upon closer reflection, the patterns are made from elements of Orientalist artworks and text that challenge Orientalist narratives.
The elements featured in the pattern include sections from Delacroix's Women of Algiers in their apartment (1834), Gerome's After the bath (c.1881), Lewis' Hhareem (c.1850), and Constant's A Royal Palace in Morocco (c.1880).
The installation includes a selection of hand embroidery materials that audiences can use to make their mark on a communal piece of fabric, allowing for the piece to evolve throughout the exhibition, and to encourage creativity and making within the space.
Image credit for images of Majlis in use: Threads: Breathing stories into materials, preview July 2023. Image by Lisa Whiting Photographt for Arnolfini. All rights reserved.
