Throughout history, ceramic objects have been vehicles for imagination, ideology and action. Through their form, function, aesthetic, and meanings they give us a glimpse of the past. As the world shifts to new possibilities and practices due to distance communication and connection, objects of the past can stimulate our imaginations and inspire us to new interpretations and production. The first phase of this multi-faceted project brings together women from the Middle East and its surrounding areas with women whose research and/or artistic practice is intrinsically connected to the region. The exhibition focuses attention on this underrepresented population’s wide-ranging artistic roles and provides a platform where their voices can be heard, and their expertise and contributions recognized.

In this collaboration, a group of scholars and writers will each choose one object from the ceramic collections at Vanderbilt University. Each person provides a formal, conceptual written description of the artwork to one of the selected artists. The artists will create an artwork based solely on the description they receive, as selected piece remain anonymous until the opening night of the exhibition at the Fine Art Gallery at Vanderbilt. While the artists have freedom of interpretation, some semblance of a formal and conceptual connection based on the description is encouraged. Each artist’s artwork will stand as a new and individual piece while it evidences its relatedness with the original. Through this interchange and collaboration, there will be an examination of the contrasts between the concrete and abstract and how descriptive text can evoke meaningful expression to create a tangible response. All participants will have an opportunity to discuss what happens when words are the sole source of an object, and the artist has to visualize and reimagine the original conceptualization through their own craft and artistic filters.

In addition, this project explores colonial histories and narratives which have compromised the stories of women, especially women of color, as thinkers and makers, and negated their role in the process of creating art, as well as writing and interpreting it. This segment addresses the role of historical ceramic objects and examines new strategic plans in curatorial practices in contemporary art. The reinterpretation and re-imagination of historical objects in institutional spaces will be articulated through the combined voices of women writers, scholars and artists.