The Bolesławiec Cultural Centre has prepared an exhibition of works created in August by artists participating in the International Ceramic and Sculpture Symposium. Among the many intriguing sculptures are human figures created, contrary to her own religion, by Alia Al Moayad, who was born in Saudi Arabia. Using formal means drawn from Europe, Al Moayad dared to depict the human figure. To avoid accusations of iconoclasm, the artist applied the principle of drawing lines across the neck of each figure depicted. In this way, the sculptures "do not live."
Alia Al Moayad created ceramic reliefs depicting a mother with children. The mother's figure is outlined through absences—she has neither a head nor a torso. She has only feet and hands, which disappear into a stylised sculptural arabesque—an expression in the Islamic world of the concept of a formless God. Through its lush, biological form, the arabesque allows its shape to be read as corporeality and a luxuriant female womb.
Artists working with ceramics from various European and other countries participate in the International Ceramic and Sculpture Symposium. Eighteen people took part in the most recent symposium. The Bolesławiec Symposium is one of the few cultural events of this kind in Poland. It has been organised for 41 years by the Bolesławiec Cultural Centre in cooperation with the municipal authorities and the Association of Polish Artists and Designers in Wrocław.
Below, we present works by Jadwiga Sarzyńska and Maria Kuczyńska. These and the remaining sculptures can be viewed in the gallery until the end of January.