This website stores cookies on your computer. These cookies are used to collect information about how you interact with our website and allow us to remember your browser. We use this information to improve and customize your browsing experience, for analytics and metrics about our visitors both on this website and other media, and for marketing purposes. By using this website, you accept and agree to be bound by UVic’s Terms of Use and Protection of Privacy Policy. If you do not agree to the above, you must not use this website.

Skip to main content
People Departments Maps Buildings Rooms A-Z
University
of Victoria
Apply Library
Sign in Online tools Sign out
UVic Libraries

Acquisition of Kinship enriches artists' books collection

October 01, 2024

Special Collections & University Archives is pleased to share the news of the recent artists' book acquisition, Kinship, by Islam Aly, 2024. Kinship is a thought-provoking and beautiful volume, and an important addition to UVic Libraries artists’ books collection.

Islam Aly is a book artist and lecturer of Design at the College of Art Education - Helwan University, Cairo, Egypt. A graduate of Helwan University and the University of Iowa, he explores how traditional bookbinding techniques can be adapted to incorporate digital technologies, pushing the boundaries of what is possible in book art.

The artist’s statement

Kinship is an artists' book that delves into the relationship between colonial and colonized artifacts, exploring their cultural and historical context. The project underscores the significance of repatriation as a crucial measure for safeguarding cultural heritage.

The project unfolds in various components, housed within a large box reminiscent of museum displays, featuring three distinct compartments. The initial section consists of a series of nested boxes, reminiscent of ancient Egyptian sarcophagi, culminating in a golden-covered box containing an ebony­ covered book featuring quotes from "The Tale of the Eloquent Peasant," a work dating back to the Middle Kingdom (2040-1750 BCE). This narrative depicts a peasant's plea to the Chief Steward of the crown after being robbed, addressing themes of social and divine justice.

Accompanying the tale are ten hieroglyphic symbols representing, renewal, protection, prosperity, eternity, infinity stability, power protection, eternal life, wisdom, regeneration, and transition.

The second part of the project presents slides featuring quotes expressing individuals' and institutions' reactions to the return of artifacts, emphasizing the importance of repatriation. On the back, a colonial map of Africa, one of the most looted continents, is displayed.

In the third compartment, ten distinct hieroglyphic symbols are intricately cut into wood, creating negative spaces reminiscent of amulets found in ancient Egyptian tombs. Here, the absence of these amulets is portrayed rather than their presence, weaving a symbolic narrative within the artistic composition.

Kinship aims to engage viewers in a reflective exploration of the intricate interplay between artifacts, their historical context, and the ethical considerations surrounding repatriation. The project seeks to foster a deeper understanding of the cultural and historical implications inherent in such endeavors.

Book details

Large Box Size: 11.5 x 11.5 x 4 inches. Book size: 7.5 x 2 x 2, Cloth-covered boxes and plexiglass top. Coptic bound book with Ebony covers, laser-cut Canson paper, linen thread, book board, museum board, laser etched plexiglass Japanese metallic gold paper, laser cut different kinds of wood. UVic Libraries’ copy is number 7 of 40.

Kinship is available for viewing in Special Collections & University Archives, call number N7433.4.A449 K56 2024

More information about Islam Aly, his artistic practice, and works can be found at his website.