The newest exhibit at the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA), "Shattered," by Turkish artist Felekşan Onar, was launched. With a focus on the recent earthquakes that caused devastation in southeast Turkey and northern Syria and claimed a shocking loss of over 55,000 lives, the thought-provoking show, which opened to the public yesterday, explores the innate power that arises from tragedy. "Onar addresses human dislocation in his art. The significant effects that political turmoil, conflict, and natural calamities have on humanity are explored via her artistic process, according to MIA's website.
Visitors are welcomed by a captivating display of painstakingly created glass birds at the exhibition's Damascus Room location. According to MIA, these birds, selected by Onar as her symbolic language, and glass, her favourite material, serve as emblems of both fragility and strength, echoing the experiences of people devastated by natural disasters. The method used by Onar to make these glass birds distinguishes her artistic talent. She uses the Kintsugi technique, a time-honored Japanese technique generally applied to pottery. This process is patching up damaged objects with gold while leaving the cracks exposed as a representation of the beauty that results from alteration and change.
"Shattered" expands on the success of Onar's earlier, highly regarded piece, "Perched," which had its premiere in the Aleppo Room at the Pergamon Museum and thereafter adorned the halls of establishments like the Victoria & Albert Museum and the Damascus Room at Dresden State Museums.
"These birds, representing both frailty and sturdiness, go through a process of repair and restoration, symbolising the mending seen in the wake of natural calamities. The website for Onar states that the use of gold "further emphasises the beauty that arises from imperfections and the profound journey of transformation."
"Shattered" is on display in Gallery 12's Damascus Room for Museum of Islamic Art visitors to enjoy. The public can view the show until May 7, 2024, and it is free to visit. With museum entrance, access to the exhibit is free.
