Shireen Taweel’s studio practice rests within a diasporic landscape of shared histories and fluid identities. Taweel’s work is deeply embedded in the materiality and cultural transmutation of copper. Heritage artisan techniques, contemporary concepts, and extensive research, lead to a transformation of the metal.

The development and research for her projects are often site-specific, working in collaboration with local communities, architecture and environment. Taweel explores the processes of self realisation and the construction of knowledge, through faith based embodied experiences, science and heritage practice.

Her most recent work refers to the Arab Science of astronomy, celestial navigation technologies and pilgrimage, to draw speculative imaginings for decolonial representations of the future in space. 

Shireen Taweel graduated from a bachelor of Fine Arts in 2015 at the School For Creative Arts Hobart, and completed a Graduate Diploma of Fine Arts in Sculpture in 2016 at The National Art School, Sydney. She is a post graduate candidate undertaking a practice-led PhD with the University of New South Wales Art and Design. Taweel is a resident at the Carriageworks’ Clothing Store Artist Studios, Gadigal / Sydney.

Taweel is the recipient of The Dunedin Public Art Gallery International Artist in Residency Program (2024). On residency Taweel hand crafted celestial navigation instruments influenced by the technologies of early Arab Science and Astronomy to navigate a route beginning in Otepoti Dunedin continuing North West across the country towards Mecca for a Hajj pilgrimage. The pilgrimage was presented as ‘5364 Nocturne’  a solo exhibition of navigational objects, celestial charts and performative documentary film making. Taweel was also awarded The 68th Blake Art Prize (2024) for the work ‘Shoe Bathers’, an award that engages with ideas of spirituality and religion. Taweel’s most recent solo shows include ‘Al-Tusi preferred to rely on perfect circles instead’ (2024) at STATION Gallery Melbourne, ‘Cosmographic’ (2024) at Artspace Sydney, ‘Sacred Architecture and the Celestial Body’ at STATION Gallery, Sydney (2023). Shireen is represented by STATION Gallery, Australia. 

Over the years she has fostered relationships with various high schools across Western Sydney by running drawing, sculpture and technical copper engraving workshops with young adults from her studio awarding her with The Arts and Culture Medal from Multicultural NSW (2018), and a highly commended award for Arts and Cultural Australia Day Awards (2020).

© Shireen Taweel 2024