Egyptian + Islamic Design in Clay: Forms, Drawing, Relief
Floating Vase 24 by Ibrahim Said, 2023. White earthenware, wheel thrown, hand built, hand drawn, and carved, reduction lustre glaze, 19¾" x 9¾" x 9¾". Photo by Dhanraj Emanuel.
Along with wheelthrowing demonstrations showing traditional Egyptian forms, the use of geometry in Islamic design as the basis for both traditional Islamic ware and the instructor’s own sculptural ceramics will be discussed and demonstrated. Participants will be guided through steps, from drawing construction lines directly onto clay to developing designs as they work with forms. The process of how similar underlying geometric structures can become a variety of different patterns in both relief and carving techniques will also be demonstrated. Minimum experience of one wheelthrowing class required.
Ibrahim Said (he/him) was born and raised from the narrow streets, pottery ovens, and noisy workshops of Fustat, Egypt. Fustat is an area in Cairo, Egypt that has etched its name in the history of the pottery industry since the Islamic conquest. Said’s father, a potter, became his first teacher and the rich cultural heritage of Egypt became his second teacher. His work is in collections at the Brooklyn Museum, Smithsonian Museum of American Art, Victoria and Albert Museum, National Gallery of Scotland, and the Philadelphia Museum of Art.