Marwa Abdul-Rahman : Eternal Return

Wilding Cran Gallery is pleased to present Marwa Abdul-Rahman’s Eternal Return on view in the back gallery. The mixed media sculptures constitute a collection of experiences, linked by themes of repetition, transition, non-linear time and constructed realities. Abdul-Rahman’s work is created from a variety of discarded materials, namely clothes that were meant for donation to the homeless but were deemed too old or damaged to do so. Instead, they appear completely transformed into free standing structures, bound with wire or rope, covered in paint and attached to rocks or cinder blocks. These individual components retain traces of their previous function but now come alive as convulsing, pulsating forms. They represent the continual act of reshaping – through both building up and tearing down – much as life is shaped not only by trauma but also by everyday occurrences.

The title Eternal Return comes from Nietzsche’s idea of eternal return and recurrence which asks: what if time is cyclical and every choice one makes is destined to repeat itself over and over again? Is this frightening or liberating? Will this state of flux eventually give way to clarity? Abdul-Rahman’s sculptures embody these questions and invite viewers to consider, what does this mean for our bodies, our lives, our universe. This is Marwa Abdul-Rahman’s first show at Wilding Cran Gallery.