Description
About this piece:
The Tapestry of Dreamweaver is an artist’s book that delves into the realm of dreams and the transformative power of talismanic shirts and constellations. It serves as a visual exploration of the interplay between the ethereal world of dreams and the tangible symbols of protection and empowerment found in talismans.
The artwork takes the form of a talismanic shirt, crafted using a collage of cloth and paper adorned with imagery of shirts, constellations, and their mystical beliefs. The book showcases a unique collection of cyanotype prints on both paper and fabric, featuring a distinctive array of texts, sacred invocations, symbols, magic squares, and seal markings. The incorporation of cyanotype prints imbues the illustrations with an ethereal quality, capturing the spiritual significance embodied by these sacred garments.
The talismanic shirts were textiles traditionally inscribed with Qur’anic verses, divine names, and geometric grids believed to offer protection and healing. Worn between the 15th and 19th centuries, often by warriors or royalty, these garments united theology, Sufi cosmology, and numerological design.
The piece is elegantly presented in a box, featuring a one-of-a-kind cover design that draws inspiration from constellations and sacred texts.
Materials:
fabric, paper, fabric, cyanotype, book board
About the artist:
Lives and works in Cairo, Egypt
Islam is a book artist and lecturer of bookbinding at the German University in Cairo. He earned both his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Art Education from Helwan University, and later pursued an MFA in Book Arts at the University of Iowa. He went on to complete a Ph.D. in Teaching and Learning with a concentration in Art Education at the University of Iowa.
His practice lies at the intersection of culture, technology, and aesthetics. Drawing on historical bookbinding traditions and integrating digital technologies, Islam reimagines the role of the book in contemporary art.
