Naqsh Collective Exhibited at Abu Dhabi Art November 21 – 23, 2019

naqsh collective

We are delighted to present  naqsh collective at Abu Dhabi Art. Their ubiquitous designs reframe ancestral and emblematic patterns from Middle Eastern embroidery in an unprecedented, contemporary context to compelling avail. One of the intentions of their work is to reaffirm the continued social and global relevance of their culture and its creative output.

 

On display will be new works including Taj 2 (2019) from the Wihdeh Collection, an intricate solid walnut wood design with fine slides of brass detailing. The work draws from ancestral Palestinian women's head pieces, which were decorated with shiny gold or silver coins to represent a woman's dowry. While the Jaffa series (2015) saw the designers take their inspiration from the storied city and looked to an old photograph of Jaffa port, a destination that was once a thriving trading hub for merchants. Their work highlights Jaffa’s pivotal role in cross-cultural exchange as traders came and went from the cities that dotted the Mediterranean and beyond, bringing with them new ideas, materials, produce and cultures and taking with them a piece of the Middle East. The designs are realised in what the artists describe as “the noble and timeless materials of stone and brass,” choices which are intended to emphasise the enduring appeal of their culture and to continue to tell their stories for generations to come. Other works include Marje (Botticino marble with brass, 2019), a term which translates to "meadows", and sees a fresh turn for the designers from polished geometrical symmetry towards fluid natural edges that frame the work and relay Palestine's storied pastoral lands.

 

WIHDEH COLLECTION CONCEPT

Wihdeh transforms the regional into a global language as local practices of embroidery are repositioned as a universal language. Each group of stitches within the design is referred as a ‹unit› to highlight naqsh’s overriding belief in the spirit of unity and also to showcase the beauty within Arabic culture.

 

PALESTINIAN EMBROIDERY WORKSHOP

Join naqsh collective (Nisreen and Nermeen Abu Dail) for a special Palestinian embroidery masterclass during Abu Dhabi Art.
Saturday 23 November 2019, 5-6pm in the Art Studio, Maharat Al Saadiyat

 

November 12, 2019