Al Sayeda Nafeesah (meaning Lady Nafeesah) as people call her was a descendant of the Prophet Muhammed (PBUH) and known for her wisdom, knowledge, and miracles. She made herself into a devoted worshiper over the course of her ascetic life and in that act she transformed her surroundings and whomever she came in contact with. The people of Egypt love her so much still that they have made her and her memory into an icon rather than a person. In modern day Egypt, the thought of Lady Nafeesah being a woman, and having womanhood be in common between her and myself for example is almost unthinkable to some. That separation wasn’t something she asked for, but was subjected to beyond her will. I find that process of reviewing and reattributing value to people and their actions interesting. It’s a cultural phenomenon that an Individual might find themselves part of without realizing it.
This work is particularly inspired by one of the commonly told stories about Lady Nafeesah’s life; which is that she had done Hejj more than 30 times. The yarn used in this project is 945 metres long, which is the distance I estimated one would walk around the Ka’ba for Tawaf during Hejj or Omra. The yarn is hanging between two mirrors to repeat infinitely. There are 7 handmade paper works with embroidery and painting on them. This work was exhibited at the Dak’art Biennale 2022.
Artist | Rawan Abbas 