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| to glow at night . 2021 |
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| to glow at night (back face detail) . 2021 |
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| to glow at night (front face detail) . 2021 |
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| to glow at night at 'portrait of a nation II: beyond narratives' . 2022 (image courtesy of admaf) |
i worked on new textile work at the end of last year, which is currently on display at the 'portrait of a nation II: beyond narratives' exhibition in abu dhabi. it's my latest large scale textile work since 2019, and i'm pretty proud of it! i think i'm slowly beginning to figure out the answers to why i make textile work – it takes me away from my digital screens, it's an analogue process of making that i find therapeutic, and it's my way of making things that feel magical or talismanic that carry personal properties of healing. i love looking at historical regional textile traditions and what textile adornment symbolised. i'd like to think that these forgotten motifs and meanings can exist in today's world. and i think that's what i'm trying to answer as i make these works.
this is my second participation in abu dhabi music & arts foundation (admaf)'s 'portrait of a nation' (see my participation in the first iteration of the exhibition here). i was happy to be invited to participate again, this time with textile work. below is the statement about the new work, titled 'to glow at night':
over recent years, there has been a rekindling of my relationship with certain neighbourhoods around dubai. deira has always been an area that symbolises what the city means to me. it’s where my family comes from, where memories of my childhood live, and where i continue to go looking for inspiration.
i mostly frequent deira when the sun goes down, observing a side to the city that becomes more visible at night. it’s on these outings where i’ve been introduced to genres of music that have filled my heart, and pulled me towards multiple dance floors of nightclubs in the area. it’s in these spaces where i’ve fallen in love with afro-pop, dancing to dj playlists of commercial hits, or to live music by a five piece band with accompanying dancers.
it’s in these spaces where i’ve realised how dancing heals me. it’s become a weekend ritual – shedding the woes of the work week, fuelling my soul by dancing under disco balls, party lights, and music. these night clubs feel talismanic; a space to momentarily exercise a form of collective healing, freedom, and protection from outside (real world) forces. and by way of adornment, one becomes an extension of these talismanic, clubbing experiences – bodies intensified by lights, sounds, smells within the consuming shadows of the dance floor. it’s a journey, a moment of escape – to lose yourself, or maybe find yourself, in the process. ‘to glow at night’ is a tangible ode to my relationship with deira’s many dance floors, that have healed and protected me when the world outside was unable to.
my work since the pandemic has taken a tangential turn, focusing on my longing for the dance floor. by the end of 2021, i was finally able to change my longing to celebrating these memories, creating work in anticipation for when clubs reopen fully, and i can dance again. 'to glow at night' is all disco, sparkle, and celebration personified! i would like to document it when activated on a body – i hope i make time to do so.
if in abu dhabi, please do check out the exhibition at manarat al saadiyat, which runs until 16 april 2022. to know more about the exhibition and programming (i'll be teaching an online workshop myself!), please head to the exhibition page here.
one last thing to share – i created a youtube playlist inspired by the afro-pop music i danced to on many occasions in the early 2010's. its a selection of the seminal songs that sparked my love for afro-pop. just like walking to a club, you'll need to scan the qr code below to access the playlist. happy listening!
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| 'to glow at night' playlist qr code . 2022 |
