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| in search of magic . 2022 – 2023 . jameel library, jameel arts centre, dubai. courtesy of art jameel |
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| in search of magic . 2022 – 2023 . jameel library, jameel arts centre, dubai. courtesy of art jameel |
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| in search of magic . 2022 – 2023 . jameel library, jameel arts centre, dubai. courtesy of art jameel |
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| in search of magic . 2022 – 2023 . jameel library, jameel arts centre, dubai. courtesy of art jameel |
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| in search of magic . 2022 – 2023 . jameel library, jameel arts centre, dubai. courtesy of art jameel |
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| in search of magic . 2022 – 2023 . jameel library, jameel arts centre, dubai. courtesy of art jameel |
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| in search of magic . 2022 – 2023 . jameel library, jameel arts centre, dubai. courtesy of art jameel |
i'm so happy to be posting about my recent textile project which i'm immensely proud of. 'in search of magic' began in july 2022 (see announcement post here), and was completed in december 2023.
'in search of magic' was created for the jameel library commission – an annual program where creative professionals are invited to use the library at the jameel arts centre as a resource and space for research to produce monthly writings that are published online. in addition to the writings, my commission also included working on a physical textile piece which evolved during the duration of the commission alongside the monthly writings.
my topic of research was (regional) magical and talismanic practises within the realm of textiles. there is a rich history of regional talismans and magical thinking – from beliefs derived from ancient civilisations and medieval islam, as well as contemporary practices found today. the project expanded my knowledge on magic, looking beyond standard definitions and questioning magic's existence in the contemporary where it feels like there is no place for it.
i would like to keep this post short, and urge everyone to head to the project website and take the time to read all ten chapters (i promise they're short!), and view the process visuals which include selected pages from my sketchbook and the development of the textile piece in relation to each chapter. the website also includes a bibliography at the end of each chapter for anyone interested in the books referenced for this commission.
without further ado, please head to insearchofmagic.jameelartscentre.org
a few thank you's are in order – first off, a huge thank you to the jameel arts centre for the invitation to participate in the second edition of the jameel library commission. antonia, uns, azim, abhirami, nabla – thank you for giving me the space, opportunity, trust and support to work on a self driven project that i'm super proud of. thank you to the tech team who helped with the website updates, the marketing team who'd post monthly announcements online for each chapter, the install team who'd assist in hanging the textile each month at the library – your help didn't go unnoticed.
a big thank you goes to the wonderful artisans and embroiderers at 'khalil tailoring & embroidery', who assisted with all the beautiful embroidery and appliqué work on the textile. they are very much a part of this project and i can't thank them enough for all their work and care.
thank you ismail noor for the professional photographs you see above. and lastly, thank you to the friends and loved ones who were supportive during the project. from feedback on the progress of the textile, to proof reading each chapter, and keeping me company on the multiple visits to the embroiderers – thank you and i love you very much (y'all know who you are).
i end this post with one last announcement – the textile piece has recently been acquired by the jameel arts centre!!! i'm so honoured to have my work included in their permanent collection. in addition to the team members listed above, i also thank dawn and rhoda from the collections team for making this happen. thank you thank you...