Shrinks From All Rendezvous – 2017
Shrinks From All Rendezvous responds to a poem attributed to Juml, a ninth‑century Bedouin woman from Iraq whose forthright complaint about an older master reveals a rare female voice speaking openly about desire. My search for Juml led me into the visual world of the Abbasid period — the painted earthenware of 9th–10th century Iraq and the illustrated Maqāmāt manuscripts of al‑Hamadhānī and al‑Harīrī. Their rhythmic compositions and ornamental vocabularies shaped the drawing as I imagined Juml: hearty, sharp‑witted, and unafraid to voice her desire.
During this research, I discovered that the very man she lampooned is the one who narrated her poem. His decision to transmit a verse that humiliates him intrigued me, and he became part of the work — a figure caught between pride, vulnerability, and the power of a woman’s authorship.
The print translates Abbasid visual languages into contemporary screen printing, bringing together historical ornament, manuscript aesthetics, and a rare female poetic voice from early Islamic history.
During this research, I discovered that the very man she lampooned is the one who narrated her poem. His decision to transmit a verse that humiliates him intrigued me, and he became part of the work — a figure caught between pride, vulnerability, and the power of a woman’s authorship.
The print translates Abbasid visual languages into contemporary screen printing, bringing together historical ornament, manuscript aesthetics, and a rare female poetic voice from early Islamic history.
Shrinks From All Rendezvous — Screenprint on paper, 34 × 30 in., 2017. Edition of 9 (variable prints). Inspired by a poem attributed to Juml, a ninth-century Bedouin woman from Iraq.
Shrinks From All Rendezvous (alternate version) — Screenprint on paper, 34 × 30 in., 2017. Edition of 9 (variable prints).
Shrinks From All Rendezvous (detail) — Screenprint on paper, 34 × 30 in., 2017. Edition of 9 (variable prints). Close-up of Juml’s face and expression.
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Shrinks From All Rendezvous (detail) — Screenprint on paper, 34 × 30 in., 2017. Edition of 9 (variable prints). Close-up of Idris’s face and expression.
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Shrinks From All Rendezvous (detail) — Screenprint on paper, 34 × 30 in., 2017. Edition of 9 (variable prints). Arabic calligraphy panel.
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Shrinks From All Rendezvous (detail) — Screenprint, 2017. Vertical border with fruit and musician motifs
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Shrinks From All Rendezvous (detail) — Screenprint, 2017. Horizontal border with circular fruit and music motifs.
Shrinks From All Rendezvous (detail) — Screenprint, 2017. Horizontal border with circular fruit and music motifs.
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