Shireen Taweel is a Sydney based multidisciplinary artist working on Gadigal Land. Taweel’s practice draws on speculative futurisms and alternative histories as a means to decolonise future cultural, political, and ethical dimensions of Space migration. Taweel focuses on the construction of future transcendental architecture and movement ecology informed by the Arab Sciences contribution of astronomy and celestial navigation instruments to the past and future of migration and pilgrimage. Taweel’s development and research is often site-specific working in collaboration with local communities, architecture and environment experimenting with the materiality of site. Conceptual applications of artisan techniques and speculative narrative drives cross-cultural discourse and dialogues of shared histories and fluid community identities.
Taweel’s works have been widely exhibited in notable institutions throughout Australia, Lebanon and Germany. Shireen Taweel was Dunedin Public Art Gallery's International Visiting Artist for 2024, resulting in a solo exhibition 5364 nocturne opening October 2024. Recent group shows include In the Inner Bark of Trees at SAVVY Contemporary in Berlin (2023), this language that is every stone, curated by Hans Ulrich Obrist, Asad Raza, and Warraba Weatherall at Institute of Modern Art, Brisbane (2022), Making Worlds, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney (2022). In addition to winning the 68th Blake Prize in 2024 with Shoe Bathers, Taweel was a finalist in the Woollahra Small Sculpture Prize (2022), was a highly commended finalist in the David Harold Tribe Sculpture Award (2022), and received the commendation prize for The Churchie Art Prize (2019). Her works are held in the collections of the Art Gallery of New South Wales and the National Gallery of Australia. In 2023, Shireen was selected to participate in the artist-in-residence programme at Cité Internationale des Arts, Paris, France.
sacred architecture and the celestial body
2023
hand pierced copper, silver, patina treatment, three part sculpture
semicircle: 24.2 x 48.3 x 5.0 cm; quarter: 24.2 x 33.5 x 5.0 cm; half-quarter: 24.2 x 18.5 x 5.0 cm
Photo: Document Photography
sacred architecture and the celestial body
hand pierced copper, silver, patina treatment, three part sculpture
detail
Photo: Document Photography
Astro architecture I
engraved copper plate, aquatint print
69.0 x 88.0 cm framed
mapping astronomy
2022
graphite on paper
150.0 x 460.0 cm
Photo: Document Photography
Sacred architecture and the celestial body
2023
installation view
Photo: Document Photography
tracing transcendence
2018 - 2021
hand pierced copper
Photo: Leon Schoots
Devices for Seeing
2022
engraved and pierced copper, silver, patina treatment
two parts: 28.0 x 10.0 x 13.0 cm each
Photo: Shan Turner Carroll
Bathe in Light
2020
engraved and pierced copper, hand made olive oil soap
Photo: Jeremy Weihrauch
Bathe in Light
2020
engraved and pierced copper, hand made olive oil soap
Photo: Jeremy Weihrauch
Shoe Bathers
2022
detail
Firstdraft
Photo: Document Photography
Shoe Bathers
2022
installation view
Firstdraft
Photo: Jessica Maurer
Shoe Bathers
2022
installation view
Firstdraft
Photo: Jessica Maurer
Devices for listening
2020
engraved and pierced copper
two parts; 25.0 x 25.0 x 40.0 cm each
Photo: Document Photography
Devices for listening
2020
detail
Photo: Document Photography
Switching Codes
2022
installation view
This language that is every stone
Switching Codes
2021
engraved copper
Photo: Silversalt Photography
Sirraj
2016
hand pierced copper, silver, patina treatment
28.0 x 20.0 x 20.0 cm
Photo: Document Photography
Zakat
2016
hand pierced copper, silver, patina treatment
14.0 x 8.0 x 8.0 cm
Photo: Document Photography