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Sara Alahbabi

Textile Length

Maker

Sara Alahbabi (Emirati, b. 1994), textile designer, (RISD MFA 2002; RISD Faculty, Textiles)
Shaikha Al Ketbi (Emirati, b. 1995), textile designer
Brooks Hagan (American, b. 1974)

Title

Textile Length

Year

2017

Medium

Materials/Techniques

Techniques

Dimensions

Length: 139.7 cm (55 inches)

Credit / Object Number

Credit

Gift of RISD Textiles Department

Object Number

2017.66

Type

Exhibition History

It Comes in Many Forms
Islamic Art from the Collection
Oct 23, 2020 – Dec 18, 2021

Label copy

In this weaving, four identical lines of women wear battoulah, metallic face masks common in the Persian Gulf. The women at the center of each row look at the viewer. By examining veiling, Alahbabi and Al Ketbi highlight the limited but growing role and status of Emirati women.

This textile was made while the artists were visiting RISD through a joint program with the Salama bint Hamdan al Nahyan Foundation in Abu Dhabi. Although they usually work in photography, Alahbabi and Al Ketbi collaborated with Brooks Hagan in RISD’s Textiles Department, harnessing computerized technology to weave this black, gold, and silver length.

Image use

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In copyright This object is in copyright

Tombstone

Sara Alahbabi (Emirati, b. 1994), textile designer
Shaikha Al Ketbi (Emirati, b. 1995), textile designer
Brooks Hagan (American, b. 1974)
Textile Length, 2017
Cotton warp with rayon, metallic polyester, and cotton-blend weft; jacquard woven on Dornier loom using Stäubli technology
Length: 139.7 cm (55 inches)
Gift of RISD Textiles Department 2017.66

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