María Dolores Gallego uses traditional and modern techniques in her innovative fabric designs inspired by the Islamic Art, textiles, geometric patterns, and vivid motifs that influenced her cultural identity and heritage.

"Textiles Alhambrescos" is my personal representation about Andalusía and the contemporary situation of Muslim women in the western world: it is a combination between tradition and modernity. This project deals with the hybridizations between art, textile design, and craft, analyzing the study of Islamic Art as a reference for contemporary creation. By using traditional fabric designs and the Andalusí culture that shapes my identity and territory, I bring a sample of contemporary fabrics that combine tradition and innovation.

Andalusía is a mix of differents cultures, and there are examples from Islamic culture that are part of my history and identity as well.These designs are inspired by the geometric shapes that appear on the tiles of the Alhambra in Granada. In Islam, geometric motifs represent knowledge, multiplicity, and the unity of humanity.

The collection of contemporary fabric designs revives Nazari fabrics, which are characterized by their intense colors and the use of motifs identical to those used in architectural decoration. The work enhances our Andalusian legacy as an endless source of creation, which can be applied to decoration and women's fashion. I use a stamping block technique along with thread and acrylic markers of different colors on canvases to create this innovative design. 

 

About the Author

Maria Dolores Gallego was born in Torreperogil (Jaen) in 1988 where she lived until 2006, when she started her studies of Fine Arts at the University of Granada in Spain. She was granted an Erasmus Scholarship to study at the Athens School of Fine Arts (Greece). Then, she came back to Granada and started studies of Restoration and Conservation Archaeological Material at Centro Albayzin/Andalusian School of Restoration, She went on to take part in restoration works of plaster and ceramic decoration in the Alhambra and Generalife in Granada.

She finished her Masters studies in Production and Investigation of Art at the University of Granada and she served as an assistant teacher of drawing, painting and printmaking for children and adults in the Taller of Drawing, Printmaking and Printing "La Granja" (Granada) with the artist Emilio Luis Fernandez Garrido. At present, she is one of the researchers of the project "Emerging Art System in Andalusia" (CEI BioTic Granada/University of Granada-Spain).

For more information: mdoloresgallego.blogspot.com.es

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