“Geometric Aljamia: a cultural transliteration” is an exhibition that explores the connections between Europe, the Mediterranean basin and the Middle East by addressing the fundamental geometry embedded in two-dimensional art. Aljamia is the adaptation of the Arabic script to transcribe texts in European languages. In the past, Aljamia manuscripts played a significant role in preserving Islam and the Arabic language in the West, especially in Andalusia. By understanding the visual arts as a transliteration of one form of thinking to another, this exhibition revisits the ongoing impact of Islamic art, science and philosophy in the modern world.
The show features beautiful paper cuts and delicate wall tracings of Islamic geometric patterns created by artists from diverse cultures. It is curated by award-winning artist, curator and teacher Reni Gower, who is a professor in the Painting and Printmaking Department at Virginia Commonwealth University; and Jorge Benitez, who is an assistant professor in the Communications Arts Department at the same university. The participating artists include Mohammad Saleh Ameen and Tamim Sahebzada from Afghanistan; Dubai-based American artist Julia Townsend; Hanane Korchi, who is a Canadian of Moroccan origin; and the two American curators. The exhibition is being held in Dubai in conjunction with “Crossing the Line 2”, an international conference dedicated to the discipline of Drawing in the Middle East hosted by the American University of Dubai."
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