The NYU Abu Dhabi Art Gallery is pleased to announce the next show at its auxiliary venue, The Project Space. Opening to the public on June 7 2018, Symphoniae is an exhibition of the latest body of works by Dubai-based, Brazilian artist Elizabeth Dorazio.

Symphoniae revolves around the creation of harmony from disparity, the simple juxtaposition of objects in each artwork performing the function of weaving together what is apart. The works of Symphoniae, hovering between sculpture and craft, evoke a kind of permanent movement, arising from the dynamic interactions between their disparate but complementary parts.

Dorazio employs the temperamental medium of egg tempera alongside more popular art techniques. Al-khous palm frond weavings, crafted by Emirati Bedouin women, spiral throughout the work, forming the basic backdrop across which dance other elements, some crafted, some appropriated. The eclectic components of Symphoniae both invite a multiplicity of interpretations and raise the question of what it means to “cannibalize” other cultures. By appropriating materials that were constructed by the hands of others, Dorazio has incorporated these other voices into her works.

Artist Elizabeth Dorazio commented: “I work with layers, much as a geologist works with layers. Or how an anatomist works with layers. My layers peel away, to reveal. They overlap, narrating new formations…I am interested in layers beyond mere artistic technique. To me, layers are accumulated memory, history, time. My practice is driven by the twin urges to deconstruct and to reconstruct. Recently, these layered works present a bi-cultural appropriation linking popular handicraft techniques of Bedouin women in the UAE, my current home, with vessels, iconic shapes and folk crafts, mainly from the Brazilian countryside of my youth.”

Symphoniae opens to public at 7:30 pm on Thursday, June 7 , 2018 with a reception in The Project Space.