Dana Awartani: Art as a Blueprint for Healing

Saudi Arabian artist Dana Awartani's work argues that art can serve as a blueprint for healing, a concept she explores through immersive installations. Awartani, 39, employs techniques of ripping and darning silk panels to create her art. She also collaborates with experts in ancient craft traditions to develop installations that function as memorials to sites impacted by conflict.

At the recent Venice Biennale, Awartani's installation in Saudi Arabia's pavilion featured a floor made of 29,000 handmade clay bricks. These bricks were crafted by 32 master artisans and represented 23 damaged sites across the Levant. Visitors entering the space described the experience as akin to being in an archaeological dig. The floor, assembled without binding agents, was designed to crack throughout the exhibition's duration, symbolizing the vulnerability of cultural heritage and the impact of erasure.

Awartani, who received training in Islamic art traditions, is set to open solo exhibitions at Lisson Gallery in London in November and at Norway’s Stavanger Art Museum next year. She was also recognized on TIME's 2026 list of the 100 most influential people in art.