Green In Suq Red in Mother's Hand – 2014
Green in Suq, Red in Mother’s Hand is a series of five screenprinted works that weave together traditional henna designs and folk tales from Al‑Hasa in Eastern Saudi Arabia. The title comes from a riddle once exchanged among children in the region, pointing to a shared cultural memory now fading from daily life. The henna patterns and stories were gathered from grandmothers in Al‑Hasa, whose knowledge anchors the project in women’s oral traditions and domestic aesthetics.
Each print is structured through an Arabic geometric framework: a central, forward‑facing hand adorned with traditional henna pattern, surrounded by peripheral shapes containing text written in the local dialect. At the bottom of each composition, the title of the folk tale and the title of the henna pattern appear, linking narrative and ornament. The hand is rendered with visible palm lines beneath the henna, evoking protection, willpower, sensuality, and feminine power.
The project documents five historic henna patterns collected during fieldwork in 2013—designs that are angular, deliberate, and culturally rooted, in contrast to the fluid, individualized styles common today. By pairing these patterns with regional stories, the series highlights the intertwined realms of women’s artistry, storytelling, and cultural memory in Al‑Hasa. The combination of readable Arabic text, realistic illustration, and Islamic geometric structure echoes the visual language of old Arabic manuscripts, underscoring the continuity between early Arab visual culture and contemporary Arab art.
Each print is structured through an Arabic geometric framework: a central, forward‑facing hand adorned with traditional henna pattern, surrounded by peripheral shapes containing text written in the local dialect. At the bottom of each composition, the title of the folk tale and the title of the henna pattern appear, linking narrative and ornament. The hand is rendered with visible palm lines beneath the henna, evoking protection, willpower, sensuality, and feminine power.
The project documents five historic henna patterns collected during fieldwork in 2013—designs that are angular, deliberate, and culturally rooted, in contrast to the fluid, individualized styles common today. By pairing these patterns with regional stories, the series highlights the intertwined realms of women’s artistry, storytelling, and cultural memory in Al‑Hasa. The combination of readable Arabic text, realistic illustration, and Islamic geometric structure echoes the visual language of old Arabic manuscripts, underscoring the continuity between early Arab visual culture and contemporary Arab art.
Fist of Day (Rooster) – 2014, screenprint on paper, 30 × 37 in, edition of 3 (variable prints).
|
Fist of Day (Rooster) – 2014, screenprint on paper, 30 × 37 in, edition of 3 (variable prints).
|
The Quivering One or The Girl and the Seven Beards – 2014, monoprint with screenprinting, graphite, henna, and watercolor on paper, 32 × 40 in, edition of 1.
|
The Caged One or The Gum Chewer – 2014, intaglio, 32 × 30 in, edition of 1.
|
Cow’s Eye – 2014, woodcut print, 30 × 40 in, edition of 3 (variable prints).
|
Fist of Night or Quraish Girl – 2014, screenprint on paper, 36 × 38 in, edition of 2.
|
Fist of Night or Quraish Girl (fabric variation) – 2014, screenprint on fabric, 32 × 40 in, edition of 4.
|
Fist of Night or Quraish Girl (paper variation) – 2014, screenprint on paper mounted on wood, 28 x 33 in, edition of 1.
|