Ulterior Motifs

The Ulterior Motifs series is an exploration of visual motifs taken from their traditional context and re-situated in an applied contemporary context in fine art. The repositioning and re/presentation of artistic forms from historical architectural sites in the Islamic world, or surface design found on ancient objects is a reflection upon cases of cultural or religious objects in transit and misrepresentation. Each work in the series is based on analysis of designs from museum collections and architectural monuments from the Islamic world. They were produced using hybrid making processes, layers of techniques and materials which lead to a questioning of continuity in traditional maker and artisanal culture. In this case, hand-drawn sketches and digital drawings were converted and applied as laser engravings and cutwork on wood. 

The Ulterior Motifs series was commissioned for the Sharjah Islamic Arts Festival 18th Edition in 2015 where they were further illuminated with LEDs, playing on the effects of light and shadow to emphasise form and effect as a spatial experience.