Eight-pointed ceramic stars by Hendrik Stroebel represent hope and wonder

An eight-pointed ceramic star by the South African artist Hendrik Stroebel. Courtesy Showcase Gallery

Showcase Gallery presents the Hendrik Stroebel Ceramic Collection, a series of glazed and patterned eight-pointed stars, a symbol that predates monotheism and stems from the period of time in which people worshipped nature.

Says Stroebel, a South African artist: “Everywhere I travelled I witnessed stars – traditional tiles, stars that enhanced architecture and stars that adorn public monuments, even grille work along the Nile in Egypt, fabrics that line tents. The star is everywhere in society. My aim was to rework the surface with motifs and pattern and create a contemporary slant of a revered tradition so that the onlooker can have a sense of what was and what is current.”

The stars represent hope – based on travelers using stars to navigate and brighten their path – and wonder – the distance between the earth and stars. The symmetry of the star and its simple humanitarian origins are intended to unify mankind in its balance and harmony.

• Daily until January 18, 10am-6pm, from Dh2,500 each, Saturdays to Thursdays (closed Fridays), Showcase Gallery, Alserkal Avenue, Al Quoz, Dubai, 04 379 0940, www.showcaseuae.com