Burqaa

Collaboration: alBeqsha
Year: 2016
Scope: Calligraphy design for a handmade, framed burqaa with embossed poetry

In collaboration with alBeqsha, Narjes designed the calligraphy for a burqaa, the traditional face covering once part of Emirati women’s dress, which reflects the values of modesty and beauty.

The piece is handmade by an Emirati artisan and carries a verse of poetry embossed in Arabic calligraphy. The verse tells of a speaker who never imagined a burqaa could captivate him, until he saw the gazelle of the dunes wearing one.

The burqaa is presented in a frame, so it can be worn on special occasions and returned to the frame to adorn a home or an office.

ما هقيت إن البراقع يفتنني            لين شفت ظبي النفود مبرقعاتي

View the piece on alBeqsha