Dana Awartani

Saudi-Palestinian b. 1987, Jeddah, KSA, where she lives and works. Dana Awartani’s oeuvre aspires for the revival of traditional geometry and historical modes of making through crafts and artisanal practices which are enacted in the contemporary. Ranging from painting and sculpture to performance and multimedia installation, Awartani’s artistic imbues forms, techniques, concepts, and spatial constructs that define Arab culture with contemporary awareness.

The timeless relevance of forms and the wisdom embedded in traditional crafts are harnessed to tackle issues of gender, healing, cultural destruction, and sustainability in a constant effort to straddle continuity and innovation, aesthetic experimentation and social relevance. 

She is currently furthering her practice and commitment to preservation of the Islamic illuminations skills through the completion of an ‘Ijaza’ certificate, in order to be eligible to transmit these skills. She has participated in numerous group exhibitions at venues including Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza, Madrid, Spain (2020); NTU Centre for Contemporary Art Singapore (2020); Hirshhorn Museum, Washington, United States (2020); among other.