Islam Aly

Enigmatic Talismans
2016, Edition of 30
Text Block: 3x 5.5 inch; 10 sections, Laser cut handmade flax paper, Laser engraved Plexiglass covers, linen thread. Signed, dated, and numbered by the artist. 

Enigmatic Talismans is inspired from the symbols found in Ethiopian healing scrolls. Originally they were produced to provide live spiritual power in the physical world.

I find the various symbols captivating, fantastic creatures, faces, eyes, angels, and patterns that blur the line between traditional function and contemporary abstraction.

The paper is made from flax paper with deckle edges to have the appearance and texture of the parchment that was historically used in the Ethiopian scrolls. The covers are made from transparent Plexiglas that reveals the overlapping symbols, generating new meanings.

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