Stilness

Throughout his career as a sculptor, Ahmed Askalany has experimented with different materials, valuing poor and fragile ones, such as terracotta and palm leaves, and recovering discarded and abandoned ones, such as tyres. Characteristic of his works are the aesthetic forms that place an emphasis on both structure and volume, as well as an innocent sense of isolation that reflects frankness, candour and a poetic sensitivity.

Askalany’s palm leaf sculptures are produced with simple techniques, similar to hair weaving, using natural-coloured palm leaves. By doing so, his work challenges the very boundaries associated with the notion of what is perceived as arts and crafts and manages to respond and contribute to the complexity of contemporary artistic practice.

(Courtesy of Mashrabia Gallery of Contemporary Art)