Fatima Uzdenova

Untitled

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Fatima Uzdenova, Untitled, 2022, Objects, Ebru on paper (paper, Zamzam water, Gum Tragacanth, color pigment), 50 x 70 cm. Image by Daniela Baptista, Art Jameel Collection

Artwork Details

Artist

Fatima Uzdenova

Title

Untitled

Date

2022

Medium

Ebru on paper (paper, Zamzam water

Dimensions

50 x 70 cm

Credit Line

Art Jameel Collection

Work Description

Fatima’s work explores the material manifestation of spirituality and belief. She considers how culturally specific aesthetic forms migrate and change through encounters along trade and pilgrimage routes.

Ebru – meaning “cloud” or “cloudy” in Turkish – is a paper marbling technique that travelled along the Silk Road and gained prominence in the Ottoman Empire. Ebru paper adorned the covers and inside pages of holy books and important manuscripts. Over time it became a traditional form of Islamic art alongside illumination and calligraphy. Today, Ebru is an evolving form of art with a strong spiritual legacy rooted in Sufi philosophy and practice.  

The Ebru painting presented here were made in collaboration with Kubilay Eralp Dinçer, an Ebru artist practising in Istanbul. They were made with the addition of Zamzam water, which is often carried home by pilgrims after completing Hajj and Umrah. 

Artist Biography

Fatima Uzdenova. b.1978 Lives and works in Dubai, UAE.

Fatima holds a MA Sculpture degree from the Royal College of Art, London, United Kingdom. She is alumna of the Salama bint Hamdan Al Nahyan Emerging Artists Fellowship (SEAF), in partnership with Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, United States of America. Selected exhibitions include: ‘The Last Equestrian Portrait’ (2018) at Spring/Break Art Show, NYC, USA; ‘Table Manners’ (2018) at Chalton Gallery, London, UK; ‘Re: Over everything which exists under the sky’ (2019) at Gasworks, London, UK. Uzdenova is a recipient of the inaugural Al Burda Endowment from the Ministry of Culture and Knowledge Development (MCKD), UAE; ‘Staple: what’s on your plate?’ at Hayy Jameel, Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

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