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Artworks
Saj Issa Palestinian-American, b. 1994
If I Don’t Take It Someone Else Will, 2024Hand-blown glass
10th C. pottery shards35.6 x 17.8 x 17.8 cm
14 x 7 x 7 inCopyright The ArtistLiterature
"Amphorae today are artefacts of the past, but to me, they are an opportunity to bridge history with the present—vessels not just of ancient utility but of memory and storytelling. Their forms carry the weight of the Mediterranean long gone, yet they remain timeless in their ability to hold and preserve. In my work, I reimagine amphorae as extensions of landscape, embodying the marks and gestures of human histories and all the places these mobile forms embarked. In addition to my ceramic practice, this exhibition will feature a metal amphora sculpture, Star Maiden. This piece alludes to the feminine form through its curvature and delicacy, while the ‘arms’ extending from each side subtly reference gas pump handles. The sardonicism in this work lies in the contrast between past and present—amphorae, once essential for fetching water in the oases of the Levant, now find their modern counterpart in regions where oil is being extracted instead."