Under the Loom
Under the Loom takes its cultural and formal inspiration from the traditional weaving craft “Al Sadu”. Al Sadu was practiced by tribal Bedouin women in the Arabian Peninsula. The yarn is handspun on a drop spindle and then woven using a floor loom. These woven products were essential to the nomadic lifestyle as they were used for tents, carpets and saddles. The process was also considered a social activity as women would gather in groups and weave while reciting poetry and telling folk tales. After the nomads settled the demand for such art declined and was replaced by modern technology. The skill is passed on from generation to generation and with only a handful of practitioners today, Al Sadu faces extinction.
Under the Loom pays tribute to this ancient traditional art form and the women who practiced it. The pandemic has highlighted the importance of art in crises as many of us have turned to crafts as a form of self-expression in our isolation. The proposal features a wooden fame, representative of the loom and has attached ropes. The diamond shape and symmetry of the composition stays true to the symbolism of the craft. The unwoven nature of the ropes exemplifies the lost art of weaving and please with the viewer to salvage it.
The proposal reemphasizes the role arts play in the culture and heritage of a community and envisions a future where we can gather once again to practice it.
© UT-R studio