| Title | Astral Projections 2 |
| Artist / Creator | Islam Aly |
| Press Name | Islam Aly Artists' Book |
| Artist's Nationality | Egypt |
| Place of Publication | Nasr City, Cairo, Egypt |
| Publication Date | 2022 |
| Process / Technique | Cyanotype, sewing, laser cutting |
| Number of Images | 6 |
| Structure / Binding | Accordion Binding |
| Medium / Materials | Cyanotype on paper, found maps |
| Paper Stock | Cave Paper, Fabriano paper, museum board |
| Number of Pages | 12 |
| Dimensions (WxHxD) | 3.5 x 7 x .5 inches. Opens to 42 inches. |
| Edition Size | Variable edition of 30 |
| Signed & Numbered | Signed & Numbered Edition |
Astral Projections explores talismanic shirts, constellations, and the mystical beliefs surrounding them. The book features intricate illustrations of seven talismanic shirts, each uniquely crafted using cyanotype prints that showcase a distinctive vocabulary of religious texts, sacred invocations, symbols, magic squares, and seal markings. The use of cyanotype prints adds an ethereal quality to the illustrations, evoking the spiritual significance of these garments.
The book covers are cyanotype prints, showcasing a blend of blue hues, constellations, stars, and talismanic shirts. The accordion binding allows the book to open up fully, revealing a panoramic view of the shirts.
Artist Bio
Islam is a book artist and lecturer of Design at Helwan University's College of Art Education. His artistic journey began with a Bachelor's degree in Art Education, followed by a Master's from the same university. He was determined to continue his academic journey, and he pursued a Ph.D. in Teaching and Learning with a concentration in Art Education, which he earned at the University of Iowa. Islam delved deeper into his passion for book arts at the University of Iowa and earned an MFA in Book Arts. His education and artistic training have shaped his unique approach to creating artist books, which combine historical bookbinding techniques with digital technologies.Islam's work is created at the junction between culture, technology, and aesthetics. His artistic practice explores the possibilities of historical bindings in contemporary book art practice. Through his artworks, Islam explores how traditional bookbinding techniques can be adapted to incorporate digital technologies, pushing the boundaries of what is possible in book art.