S U F R A, 2 0 2 6
HAND-PAINTED CERAMIC VESSELS; MIXED MEDIA
BESPOKE COMMISSIONED BY ASMA
SUFRA DRAWS ON THE CENTURIES-OLD CLAY-POT HERITAGE OF THE UAE AND TURNS THAT INHERITED FORM INTO
A PORTRAIT OF THE EMIRATI WOMAN.
EACH VESSEL, PAINTED BY HAND IN THE WARM HUES OF OPULENCE, IS INSCRIBED WITH AN ABSTRACT LANGUAGE OF FEMININITY: SYMBOLS OF HER EXISTENCE AND ROLE IN SOCIETY, HER BEAUTY AND AURA, HER STRENGTH AND
PROSPERITY, HER BEAUTY AND AURA, HER STRENGTH AND PROSPERITY, SOME VISIBLE, SOME BURIED BENEATH THE SURFACE.
IN PAINTING THE WOMAN ONTO THE OLDEST OF EMIRATI FORMS, THE WORK REFRAMES THE VESSEL AS PORTRAIT AND THE TABLE AS A SITE OF ARTISTRY AND MEMORY, HONOURING THE WOMEN WHOSE MAKING WAS ALWAYS ART.
H E R G A R D E N, 2 0 2 6
COMMISSIONED FOR EMIRATI WOMEN'S DAY
I DOD NOT WANT TO PAINT A WOMAN SURROUNDED BY BEAUTY
I WANTED TO PAINT A WOMAN WHO IS BEAUTY.
SO I PAINTED HER A GARDEN: HER FACE MADE OF FLOWERS
FROM HER HANDS RISES THE SCENT OF WELCOME, THE WAY
OUR HOMES GREET A GUEST WITH FRAGRANCE BEFORE A
WORD IS SPOKEN.
EVERY FLOWER IS DRAWN BY HAND, BECAUSE NO TWO WOMEN
ARE ALIKE, AND BECAUSE THE HUMAN TOUCH CARRIES SOMETHING
THAT CANNOT BE REPLICATED BEAUTY, HERE, IS NOT APPLIED,
IT IS PLANTED, TENDED AND GIVEN, FROM HER HANDS
TO THE WOMEN OF THE EMIRATES.
