The artist speaks about her Ramadan collaboration with Van Cleef & Arpels, entitled Harmonious Silence, which speaks to daily moments of stillness and reflection.
Canvas: What inspired your Ramadan collaboration with Van Cleef & Arpels?
Amal Al Gurg: The dusk and dawn are key moments in Ramadan’s daily rituals, so the stillness and silence before the call for prayer is what inspired the collaboration. A direct reflection of that moment is the Sukoon accent in Arabic calligraphy, which was used to create the sun in Harmonious Silence. The Arabic word sukoon actually translates to stillness and silence.
The setting and narrative that was created by the talented Burcu & Geoffrey, who created a 3D animation campaign for the Ramadan celebrations with Van Cleef & Arpels, was a lovely starting point. Their work inspired me to look at their composition and the storytelling in their animation, and it encouraged me to make the solar concept of silence come to life.
How did you approach this collaboration? What was the starting point?
After discussing and understanding the Maison’s vision, I decided to delve deeper into core feelings and emotions that reflect the essence of Ramadan. I felt it was important to bring to light moments that are often overlooked and only experienced when we slow down and observe.
At the holy month’s core is observation and reflection. As we are all living in a fast-paced world, I felt it was important to use the Sukoon as the main character that sets the scene for when family and friends gather.
Can you share details about the materials and colours that you use?
The colours used in the piece are pulled from a crisp desert scene after sunset. The starry night is portrayed in the silver ink used for the text underneath the sun, the dark background is the colour of the sky, and the touch of green comes from the palm trees that are scattered everywhere. As for materials, all my work starts with ink, a reed and lots of paper. What is then translated to a composition goes through various stages to come to life using the fine art process of serigraphy.
In what way is the collaboration a continuation of your artistic practice?
Storytelling is a fundamental element, not just in this collaboration but in all my work. I see it as a key pillar in crafting a compelling narrative. For this collaboration specifically, I aimed to express the essence of mindfulness through the use of Sukoons. Ever-present key factors in my practice are consistency, patience and reflection (theoretically and practically).
How does it feel to collaborate with Van Cleef & Arpels after Majid Al Yousef and Wissam Shawkat, who you learnt from?
It’s a full-circle moment for me having to opportunity to create something for this collaboration with Van Cleef & Arpels, especially given that both my teachers have collaborated with the Maison in the past.
What is it about calligraphy and its forms that inspires you?
The endless possibilities of creation. Once you learn the basis and core of the practice, the freedom of expression flows… There’s a freedom within the restriction that inspires creativity.
Does your background as a graphic designer inform how you interpret letters?
Yes, it gives me the ability to see forms and shapes within the letters themselves. That is a key way when applying the practice. I’ve also used the letterforms to create shapes by repeating and reflecting in a certain manner. I truly believe that it has contributed greatly to how I’m able to create my work.
How important are mirroring and repetition in your practice?
It’s meditative while going through the process and most of my work is created using these two things. I am enjoying the process of what I can create using the method for the body of work that has grown since I started this journey. I will always have a soft spot for repetition.
This interview first appeared in Canvas 117: The Maghreb Issue
