Saudia Arabia hosts Maïmouna Guerresi's "Sparrowhawk" art exhibition

SAUDI GAZETTE
By Shahd Alhamdan

SAUDI ARABIA---A solo exhibition by an Italian artist is being held in Jeddah after a 20 year lull. Titled “The Journey of the Sparrowhawk,” the exhibition is showcasing around 10 Islamic art pieces by Italian artist Maïmouna Guerresi. Splitting her time between Italy and Senegal, Guerresi says it was a visit to the latter that prompted her to convert to Islam in the 1990s. Guerresi used salt and a chandelier as symbols of light. She said the salt in the artwork is a special symbol and the viewer can feel this through the eyes of the women in the piece who are looking at the grains of salt as if they are looking at diamonds. The solo exhibition runs through Jan. 25 at the Hafez Gallery: 6559 King Abdul Aziz Road, Al-Zahra District, Jeddah. [link]

Maïmouna Guerresi: M-eating the light salt, 2013.