ISLAMIC EXCHANGE
AUGUST 9 - SEPTEMBER 21, 2013
HELEN ZUGHAIB (USA/LEBANON) As an Arab American, Helen is an observer of both the Arab and American cultures. She believes that the arts are one of the most important tools we have to help shape and foster dialogue and positive ideas between the Middle East and the United States.
CORINNE WHITLATCH (USA) I am inspired by the shards and artifacts gathered on my travels across the region – from Morocco east to Iran and Turkey in the west. Found objects, ceramics, pressed plants, minerals, and mosaics are joined with glass and hammered and pierced brass.
SHEIKH SHAHRIAR AHMED (BANGLADESH) An eager observer from an early age he captures what his eyes see, vibrant Bangladeshi life and offers to the world through his photographs.
FATIMA ABU ROOMI (PALESTINE) In her paintings and videos Fatima conveys her sense of herself as a woman, and her incisive stance against the deprivation of women and against men’s ownership over them. Her brave, revealing, rebelliously beautiful work raises social critique so as to build a better society.
SOPHIA AHMED SATTAR (USA/PAKISTAN) I use calligraphy as shapes, rather than letters or words. The calligraphy is not meant to be read, but enjoyed. Keeping it as a dominant element in my paintings, written words give the impression of random brushstrokes, patterns or single letters develop into decorative loops.
PRITIKA CHOWDHRY (USA/INDIA) I am appropriating the dharapatras and havans as objects loaded with ritual significance, and reinscribing them as containers of history that tenaciously hold and incessantly leak the memories of this communal strife into the present day. Each of the havans contain partially burnt books written in Urdu, the language spoken by Muslims in India and Pakistan.
ZEHRA COBANLI (TURKEY) This work part of Çobanli blue series evolves from traditional Turkish ceramics. She is a master of use colored slips and slips decoration techniques. The blue color is inherent in the blue clay.
