Sara Bowen

The boat hulls are made from the seedpods of the ubiquitous African Tulip Tree, Spathodea Campanulata, the shapes of which remind me of both Viking longboats and Arabian dhows.  Passages from Beowulf have been translated into Arabic and hand-cut from Japanese Washi, then waxed, sewn and mounted onto the seedpods.

 Beowulf is a Nordic saga whose exploration of fear, courage and battle seem relevant to me now as westernised countries face a hidden enemy that is often blankly categorised and demonised as Arab as well as other, when I suspect the fear is just as great in the face of death on the other side as our own.

 The piece is also about the beauty of language and script, particularly Arabic script with its flowing form and intriguing shapes. It was interesting cutting words in a language I don't understand and cannot read; a metaphor in itself perhaps.

Boat 1 Boat 2 Boat 3
I will not carry Intrepid warriors Men who inhabit
My noble sword Drank wine; This weary war-ravaged
Into battle, but fight Not one of them guessed World experience
With my bare hands, What fate had in store, Many good things -
Fiercely and fearlessly, The fearful doom. And much evil.
Fully prepared
To win or lose;
For one of us
Must die, submitting
To the doom of God.