Ba Show, Living Water
Sifnos, Greece
Last June introduced a new series of handmade rugs and tapestries on Sifnos island at the Old School of Kastro, built in the 19th Century and has functioned as a philanthropic arts space since the 1980s.
Full exhibition view, Old School of Kastro
Balance handmade rug
Living Water is a collection of textile works derived from the abstract shapes in Arabic script. In the atmospheric exhibition, fluid script-like forms flow down panelled wall-hangings and cascade across sweeping kilims. These chime with the rugged natural beauty and hilltop terrain of the surrounding local environment.
Rise handmade tapestry
The textile designs are developed through a construction process that uses paper collage and hand drawing that is artfully translated onto the loom by artisans located in the Nile Valley.
The original design sketches for the Living Water series are exhibited alongside the final woven pieces to share the dialogue between weavers and artist.
Cedro tapestry
Rhythmic calligraphic patterns are rendered in Egyptian cotton and locally sourced wool that recall the undulating dunes of nature’s elemental landscapes.
Atmospheric sounds by Omar Mooro
The traditionally-constructed tactile pieces touched many passing through, some having a direct connection to weaving in their lineage.
Ba is a humble effort to salvage a diminishing industry and to continue craft heritage. Therefore, it felt fitting to host such an event on a cultural island that harness ceramics as a craft. The show was held for one week, 18 -25th June 2025.
Photography by Niclas Gillich and Tom Hvala