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Photographer and multimedia artist Ghada Khunji has transformed a traditional cloak into a work of art with thousands of dates delights.
Her bisht work called Kãf-Ha-Ya-’Aĩn- Ṣãd, inspired by words taken from the Islamic holy book, is now on display permanently at the Bahrain National Museum.
She was ‘touched’ by Surah Maryam, the 19th chapter in the Quran, and said: “I envisioned the palm tree as a female, abundant in fertility providing nourishment to her children; the children of this world. The bisht is homage to her.
“The date seeds create armour around her and the spine is made of date palm leaves. She is the symbol of purity, strength, power and peace. She is a warrior, forever protecting humanity.”
The bisht, which took more than five months and seven artisans including herself to complete, was made with wool, silk, gold embroidery, golden glass beads, date palm leaves and more than 2,060 date seeds.
She created it last year to help the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities (Baca) commemorate International Day of Islamic Art.
“I was honoured to be chosen by Baca to produce a unique piece of art for that occasion and it was only befitting that I chose my muse to be the date palm tree,” said the 54-year-old from Adliya.
“Dates are symbolic of life and fertility. For local civilisations such as the Babylonians and Assyrians, the date palm was considered as the Sacred Tree connecting heaven, represented by the crown of the tree, and earth, the base of the trunk.
“Dates have been significant in many religions including Islam, Christianity and Judaism. In the holy Quran, they are mentioned numerous times.
“They have also been the staple food of the Middle East and its region for thousands of years and the palm has been represented artistically and in many artefacts of connecting civilisations.”
Through research, the Parson’s School of Design for Photography and The International Centre of Photography graduate realised that no one had used the potential of date seeds and date palm leaves as ornamental tools to create a gown.
She added: “The extended beauty of nature gave me the gift of making a one-of-a-kind piece of art and I hope this will enlighten others to think beyond the box.”
The pretty piece, which was part of the ‘Art from the Islamic World’ exhibit, is now a permanent part of the museum’s collection.
She also produced a green sister piece which will be unveiled at this year’s Bahrain Annual Fine Arts Exhibition.
Ghada originally started with a big interest in fashion photography but soon discovered that her passion was about sharing stories of people that were often overlooked in society.
After living in New York for more than 25 years, she returned to the kingdom to find that her focus had shifted inwards.
“I focussed my lens on myself by exploring my innermost feelings, thoughts and identity as a woman,” she said. “I also extended my focus to not only photography but to making installations as well. I feel as an artist, in order to reach my Nirvana, I must constantly push myself further to create work that pushes and utilises my mind beyond.”
Ghada is the recipient of a number of awards including the Lucie Discovery of the Year (dubbed The Oscars of Photography), the American Photo Magazine’s Image of the Year Award and the Golden Lights Award for Travel. The Bahraini has exhibited in the US, the UK, Spain, Italy, France and throughout the Middle East.
She is participating in Baca’s ‘Food is Culture’ event this coming Saturday at the Pearling Path Visitors Centre alongside Chef Irvin Martinez.
“Art has been my therapy – a part of me that keeps giving and evolving,” she said. “The making of food is also art and chefs are artists. It’s wonderful to combine the different senses of sight, sound and also taste to create a unique and more fulfilling ambiance.
“While I would like the event to be a surprise, I can tell you that the theme is Mexican food and that I will be doing a performance piece in homage to one of my favourite female artists of all time.”
For more details, follow @gkhunji on Instagram.
