shemza.digital #9, 2022
Aphra Shemza in collaboration with the public
Materials: UV painted board and UV light
Dimensions: 2.4 x 2.4 m
shemza.digital #9 is inspired by the wall and gate motifs found in Anwar Jalal Shemza's City Walls series, which drew upon the geometry of Islamic architecture. Reinterpreting these recurring forms, Aphra Shemza creates a suspended lattice sculpture inspired by the jali screen, the perforated stone lattice characteristic of South Asian architecture.
Traditionally, jalis provided privacy while allowing light and air to pass through buildings, creating intricate patterns of shadow and defining the relationship between public and private space. Shemza reimagines this architectural form through fluorescent materials and ultraviolet light, transforming it into a contemporary installation that changes in appearance as viewers move around it.
Developed through co-creative workshops with members of the public, the work forms part of the ongoing shemza.digital series, bringing Anwar Jalal Shemza's geometric language into dialogue with new audiences through light and collaborative making.