The women, 2014
12 Feet H X 4 Feet W
Engraved Masonite, spray paint, gold powder
I engraved the chapter of the Quran titled, "The Women", on to Masonite.
This piece was inspired by the essay "The Politics of Hajj" written by Aisha Sattar. The essay is about the author's visit to Mecca. There are two points in the essay that stood out for me. One she had a very difficult time at Hajj because of the way women were treated. She compares her experience at Mecca to Malcolm X's experience because for him it was an enlightening moment. Sattar then mentions how she left her translation of her Quran at home and purchased one during the pilgrimage. The translation that she had purchased was a literal translation rather than a poetic one, which also angered her.
This work is about translation and interpretation and how societies, both the East and the West, choose to interpret the Quran for their own benefit. This piece is a woman donning a burqa on the piece I engraved the chapter "The Women" from the Quran.