Islam Aly

Threads of Protection
 2024, Edition: 20 variants and five proofs

Dimensions: 59 x 53 inches, enclosed in a cloth-covered box 10 x 18 x 2.5 inches. Cyanotypes on fabric, sewn on cotton cloth. Signed, numbered, and dated by the artist. 

Threads of Protection is an artist’s book that explores dreams and the transformative power of talismanic shirts and constellations. It visually explores the connection between the ethereal world of dreams and the tangible symbols of protection and empowerment in talismans.

The piece reveals the outline of a talismanic shirt—not through direct depiction, but through absence. The negative white space of the shirt emerges from the surrounding patches of cloth, making its presence felt through contrast and void. This piece is made using a fabric collage adorned with imagery of shirts, constellations, and mystical beliefs.

The book features a unique collection of cyanotype prints on fabric, showcasing texts, sacred invocations, symbols, magic squares, and seal markings. The cyanotype process lends the illustrations an ethereal, otherworldly quality, capturing the spiritual significance embodied by these sacred garments.

Elegantly housed in a custom-designed box, the piece is completed with a distinctive cover that draws inspiration from constellations and sacred texts, reinforcing the mystical narrative woven throughout.​