Script

Zeina Iaali is a Sydney based contemporary artist. Zeina completed a BA (Hons) Arts at UNSW Art & Design in 2000 majoring in Jewellery. As a second-generation Arab Australian, Zeina’s exploration of her dual identity is elegantly and poignantly expressed through these meticulously hand crafted sculptures where a personal sense of beauty is reclaimed beyond the perceived loss of language. ‘Script aims to capture the essence of Arabic calligraphy — the lines, curves, rhythm and balance; the stroke of the scribe, attention to detail and craftsmanship.’ Zeina’s experiences seem to resonate with many first-generation Australians. ‘The story of migration doesn’t apply to me directly as I was born and raised here. But who I am is shaped by my parent’s migration to Australia and all their hopes and dreams of a better life. My calligraphy ebony pieces are my way of making sense of the Arabic language — as an object of beauty as opposed to something that can be read as I can’t read or write Arabic.’