Sketch a Day - Day 19 and an Exhibit Trip

A few months ago, I happened to catch a documentary on KET featuring Gray Henry. At the time I wasn't familiar with her, or her work, but I was intrigued by the subject matter: Virginia Gray Henry Blakemore has spent her life immersed in interfaith relations. She has lived an international life with residences in the Middle East and here in Louisville and has studied with some of the world's most gifted religious. The more I watched, the more fascinated I became.

Last week a story by Insider Louisville caught my eye: Ms. Henry would be displaying her collection of Middle Eastern textiles, jewelry and artifacts at the Hite Art Institute at (my alma mater) the University of Louisville. Called “Culture and Spirituality in the Traditional Arts of North Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia”, I immediately made plans to attend.

I've always had a fascination with Middle Eastern religions, architecture and the culture in general. And this exhibit did not disappoint. Rich textiles hung from the walls, beautifully decorated tunics hung from the ceiling and the amazingly intricate jewels... It was eye-candy for sure. 

I managed to snap two shots with my iPhone, but felt awkward doing it - the gallery seemed to exude reverence. So, instead I pulled out my trusty sketchbook and let my pen take the 'pictures'. I was completely fascinated by intricacies of the metalwork, the colors, the stitching... oh the stitching. 

Here's a few rough sketches:

If you're interested in watching the documentary on Ms. Henry, KET's website shows it's next airing as 4pm on January 23rd.