Dana Awartani, Anger from the Five Stages of Grief series, 2015.
Dana Awartani (Saudi Arabia) inspired by traditional art and techniques of craft making, explores in her work the relationship between geometry and nature, for example how universal truths can be translated through art using geometric principles. Her artwork thus reflects a traditional approach to art, seeking to visualize a sacred language through a symbolic and multilayered aesthetic. Specialising in geometry as well as illumination, tile-work and parquetry, Awartani works exclusively with high-quality natural materials and pigments that she prepares herself. This stems from a desire to revive historical techniques of traditional art that are struggling to survive in the modern world.
She has exhibited her work in many international exhibitions including Art Basel, Hong Kong (2015), Moallaqat at 21,39 Jeddah Arts (2014), Rhizoma at Edge of Arabia, Venice Biennale (2013), and Show of Faith, at Katara, Qatar (2013). Her work is included in the Farjam Collection, one of the largest collections of Islamic art in the world, as well as the Sheikh Zayed National Museum in Abu Dhabi.
Awartani achieved a MA in Traditional Arts at The Princes School of Traditional Arts, London and a BA in Fine Arts from Central Saint Martins.
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