Dana Awartani's first solo exhibition at Athr gallery in Jeddah is an intricate and immersive decoding program. She creates a matrix using symbolism rooted in Islam, geometry, science and math. Showcasing three new projects based on the study of numbers, Awartani uses various contexts from a geometric standpoint proving that it is still very much a relevant theme in the Saudi art world. Speaking exclusively to Saudi Gazette, she said: “The abjad and numerical squares have played a fundamental role in my research where I am trying to examine the significance and hidden qualities of individual numbers and show how they have not only influenced our culture, religion and our arts but also looking at how the Islamic empire were the pioneers at the time when it came to this subject.” Unlike her previous works, she admits she has invested a lot of time researching about history, science and math of numbers to give it an academic backbone. She is currently training in Istanbul to get certified in the field of illumination. Speaking of geometrical art, she explained the relationship and roots it has with the Islamic empire. “But looking at Saudi in particular I think the reason why geometry, calligraphy, arabesque and all other forms of Islamic art plays a huge role is because it is our heritage and our own culture. I am happy to see that artists in this region are taking inspiration from their own history rather then from Western conceptions of art.” Awartani's fascination with Islamic art has gone far beyond the medium and helped her evolve as an individual. “I love the craftsmanship and beauty of the art form. I thoroughly enjoy how labor intensive it is to work with. I used to think Islamic art in general was just a decorative art but after I attended the Prince's School of Traditional Arts I realized how wrong I was and that it is actually a highly sophisticated and symbolic medium of expression. And I am sure you can see from my art pieces that it has influenced me not just on an aesthetic level but spiritually and as a person in general, it has left me with a better understanding of the world and explains the idea of harmony within chaos'.” It is however; essential for every artist to grow and learn to develop their art form no matter what stage they are at. “You have to work as hard as you can and keep pushing yourself to develop your practice, because I believe being completely satisfied with your art is a dangerous frame of mind to be in. When you become fully happy with your work and don't see room for improvement then you have failed as an artist and have become lazy,” she explained. “You can always do better, and an artists practice is more off an evolutionary process rather then a race to the finish line, and I intend to keep developing hopefully.” Inspiration plays a huge role in an artist's life. For Awartani, her study revolves around learning about history, art and further improving the scope of comprehension. “My main source of inspiration comes from the traditional arts and architecture, and that's why I travel quite a bit. The places that have really blown my mind are the Alhambra Palace in Granada (Spain), the whole of Iran is breathtaking specifically Yazd, and Istanbul plays a huge role in my creative development as I am currently training there with my master to obtain my ijaza in illumination. However the contemporary arts do play an equally important role in feeding my inspiration, as I personally find it important to find a balance or meeting ground where I can merge both sides of the art world in my practice. Quite recently I visited Art Basel in Hong Kong and I left so inspired and invigorated!” Just like everyone else, artists too face numerous challenges on a daily basis. Awartani admitted the toughest one is to keep oneself inspired. “Creative blocks are the worst and just finding a way to deal with them and over come them is crucial for your own sanity!” So what is the best advice she ever received, that helps her keep going? “Probably the best advice I have received is from a really good friend who works in the art world and she told me to just ‘focus on my art work and not to get sucked into all the politics', which is a natural occurrence you find in any field of work!” Looking at future plans, she has high hopes and dreams. “But for now I am just going to focus on making more art and see where that takes me!” Discussing Athr's role in developing her as an artist, she admitted every artist needs a gallery to meet success. “ I don't think I would be where I am today without Athr's support, because in order to be a successful artist you need a gallery! They deal with all the logistics and managerial aspects that are really time consuming and something you don't want to deal with as an artist because it takes away from the time you can invest in your practice. Secondly they always insure the best interest of there artists over anything which is something I really value about them, I see them more as my second family rather then people I work with and I know I can rely on them if I need support or guidance.” Awartani has previously showcased her work “21,39” in Jeddah, “START” art fair in the Saatchi gallery in London, both the Dubai and Abu Dhabi art fairs in the UAE, Artissima art fair in Italy and Art Basel Hong Kong, among many others. The Hidden Qualities of Quantities exhibition runs till September at Athr Gallery.
