An Ode to Our Ancestors

Dana Awartani (b. 1987, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia) lives in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

An Ode to Our Ancestors is a 12-pointed stone sculpture inspired by sacred geometry. In particular, the work looks to six-fold symmetry, which is ever-present in nature—from living tissue cells to flowers and snowflakes. Awartani looks at the ecosystem of the High Line—its bees and birds, hives and nests, and trees and blades of grass alike, while also recalling a bygone tradition of stone masonry in New York’s domestic architecture. Through its materiality, An Ode to Our Ancestors advocates for craft traditions that value the handmade over the industrialized, emphasize community, and are sustained by generational knowledge, slow production, and durable design. Together, these elements encourage a more harmonious relationship between people, cities, and the natural world.