Alexander Brigham
My work:
Veil
Name: Veil
Medium: Galvanized Metal
Size: 35 x 45 cm
Some of the quotes stamped in metal:
Qasim Amin:
"The veil is a huge barrier between woman and her elevation, and consequently a barrier between the nation and its advance".
Reza Shah: “Iran must only look Western.”
Sarkozy: It's not a religious symbol, but a sign of subservience. We cannot accept women in cages, amputated of all dignity, on French soil.
Vivy Yusof, Malaysian Designer:
“Once they see you as a hijab icon, you’re automatically a Muslim icon.”
Geert Wilders:
"The Islamic veil threatens public order and security."
Iranian graffiti: "If unveiling is a sign of civilization, then animals must be the most civilized”.
John Gibson (Fox News): "the veil is a sign of a subculture that wants to establish its own rules separate and apart from America".
I lived for many years in Tunisia, Northern Africa, where I completed most of my schooling. A piece of clothing that I saw everyday was the veil, or hijab. In this sculpture, I wanted to represent the veil as an everyday object but I was also struck by the complicated relationship many people had with this simple face covering.
I challenged myself to represent the fluid lines of the hijab in galvanized metal, each layer forming the folds of the garment. Embedded in the sculpture are quotes from famous figures, politicians or historians detailing what the veil represents to them. Stamped painstakingly into the metal, the letters combine to form uneven sentences and convey meaning. The text flows as if part of the cloth, yet requires reading and interpretation just as language is decoded in order to form an understanding of the world.
I intended this project to be an exploration of how many different opinions and views can interweave in one object. Yet when I exhibited my piece, I was newly made aware of just how powerful the symbol of the veil has become. Viewers found the piece controversial and provocative in a way I had not intended. Women particularly responded negatively to my attempt to explore an issue they felt was not mine to voice. This response altered my perception. It made me more painfully aware of the strength of feeling behind this issue, and exposed my naivety in trying to tackle such a complex issue from my perspective. The experience altered my relationship with the world around me, forcing me to question previous understandings.