Chant Avedissian, an appliquéd cotton wall hanging

Egypt, AD 1989-90

Chant Avedissian (born 1951) made this textile when working with the renowned Egyptian architect Hassan Fathy (1900-89) . He said of the experience: '... working with Fathy opened up for me the means of seeing myself through the cultural traditions of Egypt...'.

Avedissian acknowledges that his technique of appliqué was directly inspired by the khiyamiyat, the tentmakers who for centuries have created the large, elaborately patterned marquees which provide the backdrop to many important events in urban Egypt. Architectural features from the floors and walls of Cairo's late-medieval mosques (also freely used by the khiyamiyat today) form another identifiable element in this textile, as do the false doors of Egyptian tombs of the Old Kingdom (about 2613-2160 BC) suggested by the artist's use of strong verticals.

Avedissian has created a modern tribute to the indigenous architecture of Egypt, and in this respect his textile has much in common with the pioneering buildings designed by his mentor, Hassan Fathy, the 'poet of the mud-brick'.

J. Mack (ed.), Africa: arts and cultures (London, The British Museum Press, 2000)