Daftar Asfar

While process-based sketches, doodles and ephemeral thoughts often take the back burner in galleries and museums, this library paid homage to the intimate, explorative moments found in an artist’s practice. This notion sparked the concept of Daftar Asfar: a sketchbook that would allow artists to explore their own practice while synchronously connecting and interacting with other artists’ work – often artists they had never met before. A yellow sketchbook gifted to me from her former colleague, artist Nasir Nasrallah, became the point of departure which was then circulated amongst artists throughout Jordan and the UAE. Nasir was also one of the artists to later participate in The First Daftar.

From there, The First Daftar traveled around Amman, London, and the UAE, and the sketchbook took on a life of its own, its’ pages filled with the interactive stories, exploratory practices and art of 58 artists and creative practitioners working in different mediums. The travel vessels have indeed varied, from taxis and Ubers, to friends of friends carrying the book in their suitcases, a Tashkeel tote bag, to a flower delivery van.

Daftar Asfar

In collaboration with Sarah Hatahet and Lena Kassicieh (2017-2021).