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Lot Essay
'This work is my expression of the power of prayer. My intention here is entirely pure.' (Noha Al-Sherif)
Noha Al-Sherif's above statement openly shows that the small figures in her work Jama'a are not at all intended to offend nor to be turned into sacred objects. She is all too aware that religious representation is traditionally discouraged by Islam. By eliminating any facial details, sculpting her female figures as dark organic silhouettes whose heights range from 5cm. to 15cm. and displaying them all together on a large white plinth, Al-Sherif creates an overwhelming aura of peace, focus and cohesion. The 20th Century sculptors Henry Moore, Barbaraa Hepworth and Alberto Giacometti have a strong influence on Al-Sherif's work, in the way they created works in groups relating to each other and conveying a special presence through their united energy.
Noha Al-Sherif's above statement openly shows that the small figures in her work Jama'a are not at all intended to offend nor to be turned into sacred objects. She is all too aware that religious representation is traditionally discouraged by Islam. By eliminating any facial details, sculpting her female figures as dark organic silhouettes whose heights range from 5cm. to 15cm. and displaying them all together on a large white plinth, Al-Sherif creates an overwhelming aura of peace, focus and cohesion. The 20th Century sculptors Henry Moore, Barbaraa Hepworth and Alberto Giacometti have a strong influence on Al-Sherif's work, in the way they created works in groups relating to each other and conveying a special presence through their united energy.