Dare to dream, dare to hope, Contemporary ceramic making from the Middle East, Ashraf Hanna, VA

Ashraf Hanna (born 1967) is an Egyptian ceramic artist who has lived in the UK since 1986. This film describes a new project he has developed in response to late 19thcentury burnished ceramics in the V A collection, which were made in Asyut, close to where he originates in Upper Egypt. The project took him back to Egypt for the first time in 11 years, to research potterymaking in Asyut today and to seek materials to use in the work. The installation became a tribute to the youth who sparked the Egyptian revolution in 2011 and is called Shararah, meaning spark. The 25 vessels represent the date of 25th January 2011 when the first protests took place in Tahrir Square. It is the first time Hanna has explicitly engaged with his Egyptian identity through his work. This film was produced as part of the display Contemporary Ceramic Art from the Middle East 19 May 17 October 2021. Find out more: