About the artists

Alyaa and Mohamed are both mesmerised by traditional woodwork joinery techniques. This complicated technique joins segments of wood together to create a wooden structure, without the need for a board to hold the pieces together. The artists' ancestors used this technique to create intricate patterns for large minbars and mosque doors. The technique was invented by craftspeople to allow diverse types of imported wood - good quality timber is difficult to acquire in Egypt - to be assembled in Egypt's arid and temperature-fluctuating climate.

Alyaa and Mohamed collaborated in testing out different patterns using the traditional woodwork joinery technique. While Alyaa picked a relatively intricate pattern, Mohamed decided to test a humble pattern on a double-faced panel. The challenge was overwhelming but after several months of hard work, patience, and persistence, Alyaa and Mohamed created two magnificent panels.

Moreover, they collaborated on writing a detailed report explaining the various steps involved in the traditional woodwork joinery technique. This invaluable document is (as far as we know) the only Arabic document of its kind.

video

Watch a short video of Mohamed Hamed assembling his woodwork panel by clicking on the image below. This intricate puzzle requires a deep understanding of both geometry and the physical nature of the materials: