Monir Shahroudy Farmanfarmaian, an amiable and quick-witted nonagenarian born in Qazvin, Iran, is best known for her scintillating mirror mosaics. Inspired and guided by geometric principles, they are infused with her own inherent elegance and joie de vivre. The sparkly three- dimensional works draw the viewer in and reflect the movements of visitors while also offering fragmented glimpses of individuals, including oneself. Monir’s technique and designs are steeped in the legacy of Persian craft, Islamic decorative art and geometry, yet she uses them to arrive, perhaps unexpectedly, at Modern abstraction.
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Other Interpretations | Canvas →
On the day before escalating tensions with Hamas saw the Israeli Defense Forces to launch a ground invasion of Gaza, an exhibition opened at the New Museum in New York, which presents that region’s thorny history through documentary-driven works by 45 artists and artist collectives from 15 countries with various degrees of connection to the Arab world. It invites reflection on the process of recording, interpreting, editing and presenting historical narratives, both personal and collective.
Read MoreDream A Little Dream | Canvas →
A freedom of spirit, tempered by thoughtful reflection, is evident in the oeuvre of Lebanese artist couple Joana Hadjithomas and Khalil Joreige. I meet them in Dubai before the vernissage of their gallery show Lebanese Rocket Society and the unveiling of their Art Dubai video installation A Letter Can Always Reach its Destination. Skepticism over the truthfulness of images continues to inform their work, in what they describe as an archaeology of their observations.
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