Ceramic objects in installation, 2024.
Part of the installation ‘Counting Fingers’ that showcases over 200 fantastical ceramic objects, culminating in surreal sculptures and structures that replicate and reimagine healthcare spaces, such as medical waiting rooms, hospital corridors, and doctors’ offices. These spaces, typically perceived as sterile and stoic domains, are transformed into dreamlike sites that are bizarre, eerie and amusing.
‘Counting Fingers’ that reflects El-Sagini’s intimate perspective on trauma. Produced after a long battle with illness, the objects featured encourages viewers to find joy and humor in envisioning a strange world where humans, animals, plants and inanimate objects blend into semi-distinguishable forms and figures. Provocative and elusive, the installation prompts us to pause and contemplate the inherent mechanisms within our nervous systems that enable us to endure pain, trauma, fear and adversity. These mechanisms, both human and supernatural, empower us to overcome and internalize trauma in ways that may potentially reconnect us with our vulnerability and ultimately our humanity.
Photography by Ismail Noor (detail from El-Sagini’s solo exhibition at Gallery 1). Image courtesy of the artist.
