Abdullah M.I. Syed, 'Woven Cascade' 2023

We are honoured to introduce you to Abdullah M.I. Syed, a Sydney-based interdisciplinary artist who’s practice champions the power of storytelling from a cross-cultural perspective. In three decades of practice, Syed has received numerous awards and has exhibited and performed internationally. He earned a PhD from the University of New South Wales (‪@UNSW‬) and a M Ed and a BA from the University of Central Oklahoma (‪@UCOedu‬) His Pakistani Muslim heritage; wide-ranging research interests in arts, economics of consumption, home and displacement, nature and mysticism; and the influences of his lived experiences outside and inside a diasporic space, all coalesce to create art forms of poetic resistance, or what Syed calls manzoom muzahamat. For Syed, a studio is a Karkhana (workshop), a place of communication where knowledge is acquired, processed, and transferred through observation, play, contemplation and collaboration. To help communities and inspire social change through his practice, Syed scours both the contemporary Western and Eastern cultural and socio-political landscapes, and deftly traverses their divergent modes of thought.

Aligning with the innovative design of our new building, 'Woven Cascade' is a site-specific sculpture reflecting its surroundings through a cascading composition of texture and colours. The woven tapestry-like sculpture is fabricated in layers of metallic, red, and blue industrial chain mesh, highlighting Syed’s ongoing interest in exploring time, space and elements of nature. He weaves celestial bodies, sun and moon, with sky, water and land - reflecting the perpetual movement, enigmatic radiance and temporal transitions of the sun rising in Australia while its counterpart, the moon, rises in the US. 'Woven Cascade' was inspired by the deeply interconnected histories, strength, diversity, and ever-evolving partnership between Australia and the US, despite vast geographical distance. As Pakistani diaspora, Syed personally addresses his connection and lived experience in Australia and the US, simultaneously searching for beauty, belonging and permanence.

Artwork: 'Woven Cascade', 2023 (Alphamesh ring mesh, industrial paint, metal)
©Abdullah M.I. Syed, 'Woven Cascade', 2023. Courtesy of the artist & Sally Dan-Cuthbert, Sydney.

This artwork commission was supported by Gallery Sally Dan-Cuthbert (‪@gallerysallydan-cuthbert5007‬), Tilt Industrial Design (‪@Kennovations‬) and Agency Projects.

Video by UAP (‪@uap-urbanartprojects‬)