Shahad Al Azzaz

Donated by: ARTinD - with Shahad AlAzzaz, Alia Dawood and Oliva Sartogo

Beyond an architect’s garden - Shahad Alazzaz “Further than the extent of physical space, urban planning, landscape and scale, gardens are a beautiful source of life. We are always concerned about the aesthetics of gardens and efforts to preserve environment neglecting the fact that gardens are products of nature where prosperity and demise are a natural process that should not be interrupted by mankind. This should not be looked at as an inconvenience. In fact, it is beauty, quality and purity. This is what makes a garden unique in the visual arts world; its dialogue with time.”

Based on the significance of rugs in the Arab world as a form of storytelling, Curator Alia Dawood and Oliva Sartogo invited a group of architects to create original designs tapping into the concept of “The Garden of Paradise”. This idea of an archetypal, heavenly garden has always been an inspiration to artisans and artists alike for experimentation, creativity and storytelling. In the garden, shadows are created, flora and fauna compete for sunlight, and marking out of territory can all be related to the idea of the garden as a domestic scape.