The iridescent glow of pearls has always aroused fascination throughout human history. Depending on the culture, pearls symbolize various phenomena and states, from purity and wisdom, to their significances as tears of sadness. Pearl diving and trading practices in the Arabian Gulf date back thousands of years only to have disappeared with the advent of the oil economy. In her attempt to merge the seemingly detached era of the pearl divers and the era of fossil fuels, Al Qadiri observes the inner mechanics of the oil industry in this series of works, in order to find visual and aesthetic connections. Collaborating with a Japanese pearl carver, the artist had oil drill heads carved from natural pearls, which are exhibited in the artificial water landscape of an aquarium.
Commissioned by the Soap Factory, Minneapolis, USA (2018)
The iridescent glow of pearls has always aroused fascination throughout human history. Depending on the culture, pearls symbolize various phenomena and states, from purity and wisdom, to their significances as tears of sadness. Pearl diving and trading practices in the Arabian Gulf date back thousands of years only to have disappeared with the advent of the oil economy. In her attempt to merge the seemingly detached era of the pearl divers and the era of fossil fuels, Al Qadiri observes the inner mechanics of the oil industry in this series of works, in order to find visual and aesthetic connections. Collaborating with a Japanese pearl carver, the artist had oil drill heads carved from natural pearls, which are exhibited in the artificial water landscape of an aquarium.
Commissioned by the Soap Factory, Minneapolis, USA (2018)