Mariam Ashraf Al-Dakkak, MA
The Blue Mosque Window
Plaster, coloured glass, and wood frame
55.6 x 87 x 5 cm
The Damascus Gateway
Plaster, coloured plaster, and gilded painted glass, and wood frame
55.6 x 100 x 5 cm
Artist Statement
Gates of Light: Re-imagining Gypsum in the Architecture of Islamic Sacred Spaces
This project presents a series of four gypsum gateways inspired by some of the earliest and most influential mosques in the Islamic world: the Great Mosque of Córdoba in Spain, the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus, the Mosque of Ibn Tulun in Cairo, and Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. These architectural monuments represent significant moments in the development of Islamic art and demonstrate the remarkable creativity of craftsmen who mastered gypsum as a decorative and architectural medium.
The project reinterprets these traditions through a contemporary lens while remaining rooted in the principles of traditional Islamic ornament. Each gateway is conceived as both a physical and a symbolic threshold, reflecting the culture and identity of the region from which its inspiration is drawn.
The Damascus gateway is inspired by the Muslim vision of paradise in the Qur’an through depictions of, for example, palm trees, pomegranate trees and flowing water – carved in gypsum, ornamented with gilding and hand-painted glassThe Córdoba gateway brings together biomorphic and geometric ornament with illuminated glass, evoking the rhythmic harmony of Andalusian design. The Jerusalem gateway integrates gypsum with ceramic tiles, reflecting the rich decorative traditions associated with the architecture of Palestine. Finally, the Ibn Tulun gateway combines gypsum carving with traditional painted stained glass inspired by the remarkable traditional craftsmanship found in Cairo.
Through this project, gypsum is explored as a living craft capable of dialogue with other traditional arts, revealing new possibilities for its presence within contemporary art, craft and architectural practice.
The Córdoba Gateway
Plaster, coloured glass, and wood frame
66 x 110 x 10 cm
Biography
Mariam Ashraf is an Egyptian artist whose practice focuses on traditional Islamic arts and craftsmanship. She completed the Diploma at Jameel House of Traditional Arts in Cairo, where she specialised in gypsum carving. Her studies included the analysis of biomorphic and geometric designs found in the historic architecture of Old Cairo.
Under the name MOMA, Mariam exhibits her work and explores ways of creating contemporary objects employing the traditional craft of gypsum.
Alongside her studio practice, she has delivered workshops introducing the craft of gypsum carving to new audiences, with the aim of contributing to the revival and appreciation of this traditional craft.
Driven by a deep interest in traditional arts, she joined the MA Programme at The King’s Foundation School of Traditional Arts in order to expand her knowledge and practice of many different arts and crafts of the world; in particular, she has been exploring how gypsum carving may be integrated with other crafts such as stained glass.