Lantern

Lantern (2021) by Ali AlJabri is a granite sculpture that explores how language, tradition and knowledge are carried across generations. Developed through research into Oman’s cultural history, the work connects inherited forms of communication with the advancement of science. Its title presents illumination as a metaphor for knowledge and the ways it is preserved, shared and renewed.
Carved from granite, the sculpture rises in a tall, tapering form shaped by angular planes and elongated recesses. These openings and incised elements create shifts between solid mass and negative space, while changing light produces shadows that animate the surface. The enduring material gives physical presence to ideas transmitted through speech and writing.
Installed within the King Abdulaziz Historical Center, Lantern introduces a reflection on cultural memory and the continuity of knowledge. The sculpture connects a contemporary public setting with traditions sustained through language, presenting communication as a source of illumination across time.