LONDON: The worlds of fashion and art from Arab female creatives converged this week at the “Material Woman” exhibition in London. The exhibition, held from May 17 to May 19 at Soho Revue, is the brainchild of the art collective Hayaty Diaries, in collaboration with the fashion platform and pop-up series 3eib. Featuring an eclectic mix of sculptural art, mixed media, projection installations, fashion and jewelry, the exhibition explored craftsmanship and materiality.
“Each element came together to tell a cohesive and beautiful story about how women use their hands to craft their destinies and honor their heritages through both creative worlds of art and fashion,” Lebanese curator and Hayaty Diaries co-founder, Christina Shoucair, told Arab News. The curatorial process began with the pairing of artists and designers, creating a harmony between the works. Bahraini artist Zayn Qahtani’s shrine-like objects, featuring delicate ethereal drawings on date paper, explore themes of venerative mourning.
These are paired alongside a series of rustic sculptures and draped garments by Egyptian designer Nadine Mos. Lebanese artist Yasmina Hilal’s photo sculptures, which incorporate her distinctivve metalwork and soldering technique, are complemented by a curated display of contemporary silver and gold accessories by Celine Dagher, a Lebanese jewelry designer. Meanwhile, Egyptian artist Hanya Elghamry examines the process of remembering by graphically recreating various details .
