Jamal Tayara-Baroudy inaugurates her new installation ‘Garden After’ at 1971 Design space

1971, Sharjah’s new design space, hosted yesterday, a garden of paradise-themed exhibition titled ‘Garden After’ by  Lebanese artist and designer, Jamal Tayara-Baroudy, the exhibition remains open until 26 September 2015.

The event was attended by H.E. Hisham Al Madhloum, Director of Sharjah for Literature and Art Complex, H.E. Marwan bin Jassim Al Sarkal, CEO Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq), Sheikha Nawar Al Qasimi, Public Programme and Outreach Officer at Sharjah Art Foundation, Sultan Sooud Al Qassemi, Founder of Barjeel Art Foundation, Art lovers and representatives of various media outlets in the UAE.

For her new installation, Jamal Tayara-Baroudy has taken inspiration from descriptions of the Garden of Paradise in the Holy Quran, as well as Islamic garden architecture and her childhood memories. ‘Garden After’ is an immersive installation composed of a fountain, wallpaper and floor patterns, which change in scale and perspective depending on how close up one views it. The installation’s key elements are flowing water, shade, and diverse foliage, which represent both the physical and spiritual realms.

Numerous verses in the Holy Quran celebrate water and plants, particularly in the Garden of Eden and in ‘Jannah’ (heaven). In ‘Jannah’, there are shade-giving fruit trees, green pastures and fountains—particularly appealing to desert-dwelling nomads. Tayara-Baroudy is also exhibiting prayer carpet designs, inspired by the fact that these rugs are considered doors to heaven and often feature depictions of garden scenes.

Jamal Tayara-Baroudy has eighteen years’ experience in professional design and multi-disciplinary art, having worked throughout the Middle East for individual clients and in international branding. Presently, both art and design overlap in Tayara-Baroudy’s work, which employs motif and repetition to create distinctive patterns. Tayara-Baroudy currently runs an independent branding studio called jamjardesign, established in 2002, and an art and design studio called Art Like This*, established in 2011. Additionally, she is the former Creative Director and founding member of Alāan Artspace in Riyadh.

About 1971

1971, the UAE’s newest experimental design hotspot, can be found on Sharjah’s iconic Flag Island. Far more than a gallery, the innovative art space aspires to become a regional and international design hub in the UAE that works closely with local designers, architects, schools and universities, to present a contemporary and cutting-edge mix of curated exhibitions and public programmes.