Sunny Day Cupboard no.1

By the late 1990s, Dia Azzawi’s artistic practice had changed quite drastically. For example, his colour choices expanded beyond his original European influence and went on to reference Bedouin textile prints from Iraq; this can be seen in the vibrant and varied palette he employed in his production of Sunny Day Cupboard no.1 and no.2. These standing cupboards are a part of a larger body of design and sculptural work Azzawi made in Doha with Sheikh Hassan bin Mohammed bin Ali Al Thani. The collaboration came about when Azzawi discovered that an Egyptian chef employed by Sheikh Hassan also happened to be a gifted carpenter. The project’s intent was to blur the line between Fine Art and daily life through designing and producing a functional piece of furniture in the artist’s signature colour palette from the period.