weight of it all
cone 10 soda fired stoneware, cotton, lace
24" x 15"
2024
The weight of it all, in a literal and metaphorical sense, heavy and sometimes even debilitating, the crushing pressure of what it means to practice and identify as a Muslim-american woman in 2024.
Across the hand sewn Hijab are soda and woodfired "stones", in total weighing around 12 pounds. These stones are called Mohrs, which are the stones that Shia Muslims will pray on when going into Sujood. Sewn across the Hijab they act as a protective armour but hold a heavy pressure upon the bearer of the Hijab.
The need to have sovereignty and autonomy over wearing the Hijab is an issue Muslim women all over the world are struggling with in multiple ways. In France, women can be fined, put in jail or even legally attacked by the police, while in Iran (my home country) women can face the same barriers but if they do NOT wear the hijab. The right for a woman to choose what they wish to do is stripped away from them. For many Muslim women, the Hijab is a great honor and crown to wear upon their heads, while for others it is an obligation that they do not desire. Regardless of what women want to do, their access to a choice is taken from them, all over the world. The weight of their decision to wear or not to wear is used as a political pawn to spread imperialist ideologies or uphold theocratic control.