KESWA

Artists: Nada AlMulla and Salwa Al Khudairi

Nada AlMulla and Salwa Al Khudairi are Saudi Arabian artists whose love of turning conceptual ideas into tangible realities inspired them to study architecture at The American University Sharjah (graduating in 2017). They were both interested in pursuing the production of artworks that introduce unseen perspectives, by exploring different media and turning objects into abstract forms.

Keswa, meaning covering, mimics the abaya that the women of the Arab/Islamic world wear. Its outside is smooth and rhythmic just like that of the abaya while the inside reveals the hidden ribs which hold up the structure and give it its character. Inspired by the work of Christo & Jeanne Claude and their tendency to cover quantitative objects with fabric; viewed from a bigger scale, Abayas were thought to be doing the same for Arab women. Keswa, the steel piece folds in a geometric way that allows the structure to curve and achieve a rhythmic flow that emulates fabric. The installation contains twelve panels attached to one another using ribs, and that fastening system create seams viewed both from the inside and the outside, embodying the stitches in Abayas. The piece is divided into two main sections which overlap and come together to create an opening that allows people to walk through and interact with the art work.