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Blooming Islamic

This major project was based on florals and paisleys inspired by Islamic culture. I started my last journey at university by going to the British Museum to the “Islamic World” exhibition. I found all sorts of objects, not from only one specific century, but with a major thing in common; the unique style of floral motifs. Each object was beautifully patterned with all over repeats, ogee style and square repeats, of flowers and plants like tulips, carnations, hyacinths and papyrus plants. Flowers were painted with a watercolour effect, also graphic with a lot of details.

At the exhibition, they had several posters made by Syrian artists, which were created digitally and shared on social media between 2011 and 2014 (also used by activists in the mass demonstrations during the uprisings at the beginning of the Syrian Civil War in 2011). One of the posters that most intrigued me and inspired me was one that had a silhouette of a head in black, with blood flowing from three gunshots. Above that, it had a slogan in Arabic, which translated means FREEDOM.

Freedom is not possible for many circumstances like religion, government, and it can be very different from man to woman. As a woman I feel we are much more restrained to act, to think, to believe. I relate to this at a different level because I have lived in Mexico. As a woman, you are allowed to do many things, but never without being judged, or without the fact that still is a world ruled by man. I want to have the freedom and liberty to do as I wish in all senses, If I want to believe in a god or several, then do so. If I want to get a job position, that only men have succeeded on, try it and do so, I will do so, and bloom myself. LET YOURSELF BLOOM.

Blooming Islamic is a collection that consists of vibrant and vivid digital patterns of feminine but bold flowers, work of pleats, hand and machine embroidery, all combined together. I created my own sequins, and embellishments of light and medium weight fabrics including leather and several materials were upcycled.