Manifestation of the dowry

Medium: Cowhide leather, digital embroidery on vinyl
Year: 2018
Size: 120 x 120 cm
Edition: Unique artwork
Shipment: Assembled

About: 

Dowry currency (mahar) is a significant part of marriage in the history of Islam. In the Middle East, it has changed and transformed throughout the years and dowry making became an industry of its own. The dowry is not only important in its own content, but also in the way it is manifested, or exhibited. 

This piece combines objects and symbols that represent the display of a dowry as a gift: from things associated with society’s expectations of the bride’s domestic obligations, to objects resembling her beauty like makeup or fake lashes. The image is overlaid with Arabic text meaning manifestation, and when one letter is removed, the word dowry will appear. The materials used are important in this piece because vinyl is usually used for advertising banners, and the digital embroidery brings a process of creation and manifestation.