Shades of Love

Cut paper and acrylic on Magnani Corona paper 350 gsm. 200x200 cm (made up of 16 pieces of 50x50 cm each).

Date27 November 2014
StatusSold
PrintsRedbubble
Category,

    This piece illustrates the rich Arabic vocabulary pertaining to Love, with 16 words that can translate as “love”, but with nuances difficult to translate into English. The words at the four corners, with plain backgrounds, correspond to four polarities of this feeling (a subjective classification):
    I’zâz إعزاز : Esteem, regard
    Mahabba محبّة : Brotherly or universal love
    Shahwa شهوة : Lust
    Hiyam هيام : Mad passion

    The others are combinations and degrees in-between (again, understood somewhat subjectively), that can be decoded through the combination of background and splashes of colours:
    Shaghaf شغف : Crazed love, passionate desire
    Wal’ ولع : Ardent desire, craving
    Ishq عشق : Overwhelming love
    Walh وله : Infatuation, amorous rapture
    Raghba رغبة : Desire, yearning
    Hawas هوس : Infatuation, obsession
    Widâd وداد : Fondness, loving friendship
    Ghulma غلمة : Lust, desire
    Gharâm غرام : Passion, romantic love, desire
    Hanân حنان : Tenderness, affection, compassion
    Olfa ألفة : Intimacy, affection, friendship
    Tafân وفان : Devotion

    The words themselves are cut out of white paper and float slightly above the coloured background.
    The total size of this piece is 2x2m, but made up of, and shipped as, 16 pieces of 50x50cm each. They are meant to be assembled in framing, or framed separately as preferred.

    A penny for your thoughts...