Format: Ceramic Investigation and Historical Replica | Portfolio Category: Decolonial Material Culture 

Keywords: Lustre Firing, Material Subversion, Sufi Philosophy, Institutional Critique

Abstract: This project utilizes the Kashkul (Sufi Beggar’s Bowl) as an element for exploring "self-emptying" (Fana') and receptivity. Through a decolonial lens, I reconstruct a historical object to interrogate contemporary crises of accumulation and ego. Re-invigorating the alchemical roots of Arabic ceramic traditions, a critical component of this research involved a four-month intensive study in atmospheric reduction firing to achieve the reflective, iridescent finish of traditional lustre glazes.

Furthermore, including Majolica on porcelain study functions as an institutional critique; by applying a technique associated with European Renaissance wealth onto a body historically labeled "white gold" in the East, I create a hybrid object that subverts traditional hierarchies of value.