PRESS RELEASE:
‘DRAWING ON THE SIGNIFICANCE OF FRANKINCENSE IN OMANI CULTURE, WHERE IT IS PARTICULARLY APPRECIATED FOR ITS AROMATIC QUALITIES, HANAN EXPLORES MARRIAGE TRADITIONS WITHIN THAT CULTURE. SHE MANIPULATES FRANKINCENSE RESIN AS IF IT WAS GOLD, SHAPING IT TO RESEMBLE A FAMILY HEIRLOOM THAT WAS GIVEN TO HER MOTHER FOR HER MARRIAGE. ANOTHER OF HANAN’S PIECES REINVENTS THE KUMMA, A HEADPIECE ORIGINALLY RESERVED FOR MEN, AS A WEDDING ACCESSORY FOR WOMEN. HANAN’S COLLECTION IS A CHALLENGE TO THE MEANING OF THE DOWRY, FROM ITS MATERIAL WORTH TO ITS SYMBOLISM.’
INTERPRETATIVE TEXT BY ORIANA VIAUD BA (HONS) CULTURE, CRITICISM AND CURATION. CENTRAL SAINT MARTINS 2020.
HANAN SAYS: ‘THIS COLLECTION COMMUNICATES, EXPLORES AND CHALLENGES MARRIAGE TRADITIONS IN OMANI CULTURE, THROUGH DIFFERENT FORMS OF JEWELLERY. I FIND IT EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO IDENTIFY MYSELF BY MY CULTURAL BACKGROUND YET NOT BE TRAPPED BY ITS TRADITIONS. THIS WAY I AM ABLE TO KEEP SOME OLD, MEANINGFUL AND IMPORTANT TRADITIONS AND MAKE NEW AND IMPROVED ONES. ACCORDING TO OXFORD, ‘NEO TRADITIONAL’ ALLUDES TO THE REVIVAL OF ‘TRADITIONAL METHODS, STYLES AND WAYS OF LIFE, ESPECIALLY WHILE INCORPORATING CONTEMPORARY ELEMENTS OR INFLUENCES’.
FRANKINCENSE IS A TYPE OF RESIN THAT IS USUALLY USED IN INCENSE AND SCENTS AS IT IS BURNT AT WEDDINGS AS A SIGN OF THE EMERGING OF TWO SOULS AND IS BELIEVED TO STRENGTHEN THE INTUITION AND SPIRITUAL CONNECTION BETWEEN TWO. I DECIDED TO EXPLORE FRANKINCENSE IN JEWELLERY FOR ITS HISTORIC AND CONTEMPORARY CHARACTERISTIC SIMILARITIES TO GOLD; A COMMODITY THAT IS PRESENTED TO A BRIDE AT HER WEDDING AS A COMMODITY FROM HER GROOM. THE BODY’S NATURAL EMITTANCE OF HEAT, WILL HELP THE SCENT OF THE FRANKINCENSE TO SPREAD FROM THE SKIN INTO THE AIR. WHEN PRESENTED AS PART OF THE DOWRY, IT IS PRESENTED FOR ITS SYMBOLIC MEANS RATHER THAN ITS MATERIALISTIC VALUES IN FORMS OF TRADITIONAL JEWELLERY.’