WAG Dance Me to the End of Love "Light Upon Light"
Jamelie Hassan, Canadian, b. 1948
Light Upon Light (in memory of Emina Hadzic Hassan), May 20, 1997
1997
Watercolour on paper
46 x 61 cm
A Gift of Tariq Hassan Gordon In Memory of Emina Hadzic Hassan, Woodstock Art Gallery Permanent Collection
2016.007.001
This watercolour was painted in memory of Hassan’s niece who passed away in May of 1997. The title of the work comes from the 35th verse of the 24th Sura of the Koran, known as the "Verse of Light." Plants, oriental tiles, ceramics and lanterns are common motifs in Hassan's work. Often she links these personal objects to broader, political concerns but here the objects create a more personal statement. The juxtaposition of the plant and tiles in her studio space spoke to Hassan as she mourned the loss of her niece and the act of painting these objects became a way of expressing her grief.
