RITUAL TRACES SAWCC presents two performance art projects by Amina Ahmed. Curated by Shelly Bahl. Amina Ahmed, Invocation Invocation re-enacts a traditional gathering of women, who together make a visibly poignant collective drawing, significant in its imbuement of the Divine spirit. This artwork enables a collaborative healing process in the face of violence and trauma. Participants are invited to sit with the artist, in a space marked by a curtain in a public park, and experience the practice of placing and pasting hand rolled paper seeds onto a large linen board, guided by a geometric pattern. This is an ongoing series that culminates with a drawing of 7000 paper seeds. The shared environment nourishes a sanctuary of a familiarity that relies on women recognizing themselves through the Self, and their acknowledgement of other women. Amina Ahmed was born in East Africa, of Kutchi Turk Indian heritage. She grew up in England, and has lived in Iran and the USA. Ahmed graduated from Winchester School of Art and Chelsea School of Art. She received her MA in in Visual Islamic and Traditional Arts from the Royal College of Art. Ahmed’s work has been exhibited internationally, including: The Lincoln Center, NY, Jersey City Museum, NJ, Queens Museum, NY, Twelve Gates Gallery, PA, Slick Art Fair, Paris, India Art Fair, Delhi, Fiber Philadelphia International Biennial, PA and Alwan for the Arts, NY. Artist, educator and activist, Ahmed is a board member for the Muslim Women’s Institute for Research and Development, and advisory board member for Women’s Voices Now. A former studio member of the EFA NYC, she is currently a studio resident at Mana Contemporary in New Jersey. Image credits: Amina Ahmed, Invocation, Collective Drawing III: 7000 hand rolled paper seeds on linen board. 29” x 40”, 2011- ongoing. Photo credit: M.R. Jahanbin.
