Contemporary Middle Eastern Art
The Middle East region has a remarkably vibrant contemporary art scene. Young artists in Iraq, Iran, Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, Turkey and many other nations of the region are featured in major international museums such as the British Museum, promoted by international dealers such as Charles Saatchi and sold in special sales dedicated to contemporary art of the Middle East at major auctions houses around the globe. The works provide insights into the region that decades
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Contemporary Middle Eastern Art
The Middle East region has a remarkably vibrant contemporary art scene. Young artists in Iraq, Iran, Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, Turkey and many other nations of the region are featured in major international museums such as the British Museum, promoted by international dealers such as Charles Saatchi and sold in special sales dedicated to contemporary art of the Middle East at major auctions houses around the globe. The works provide insights into the region that decades of news media have failed to impart. Built on their own experiences and perspectives, the artists have created art works that speak of their cultural, religious and political tensions, and language.
Contemporary artists have taken Arabic script and adapted it into their artworks. For centuries, calligraphy was considered a sacred art; a way of revealing the Divine language; respected for its aesthetic qualities. Artists such as Ali Ormar Ermes (b. 1945), from Lebanon, transforms dramatic single letters into symbols and beautiful abstract forms. Poetic texts are also used by artists such as Shirin Neshat (b. 1957), from Iran, who covers the body parts of women in script to address the subject of women and feminism in Islamic society.
Artists have been deeply influenced by the political and religious conflicts in the region. While some artists treat their subject matter obliquely, others produce works that are direct commentaries. Palestanian artist Lail Shawa’s (b. 1940) works reflect political realities, the trauma of war and dispossession, of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through depictions of children from refugee camps. Sadegh Tirafkan (b. 1965), who was bron in Iraq from Iranian parents, responded to Iran’s war with Iraq (1980-88) in a series of memorial portrait photographs of the many friends who died in the war.
Cultural and national identity are also visible in the work of such artists as Rokni Haerizadeh (b. 1978), an Iranian, who depicts the scenes of burial or weddings in vibrant colors; describing the traditions of the country with sympathy. One of the best known of a new generation of Arabic artists, Farhad Moshiri, from Iran (b. 1963), uses all media to discuss the topic of consumerism, which has grown with the influx of Western culture. From the same country, Shirin Aliabadi (b. 1973), focuses on women to reflect the clash of Western and Islamic values through the series “Miss Hybrid” in which women wear colored contact lenses, a strip of surgical tape across the nose and fashionable outfits. Discussions of gender identity are reflected in the artworks of Ramin Haerizadeh (b. 1975), brother of Rokni Haerizadeh. His series of manipulated photographs of two-semi naked men, entitled “Men of Allah,” transgressed the gender boundaries and incurred a strong reaction from fundamentalists of the region. Another Persian artist Shadi Ghadirian (b. 1974) photographed portraits of women, showing veils with kitchen utensils held in place of the face, questioning the perception and roles of women in Middle East countries. (hide)
Examples of Contemporary Middle Eastern Art at Auction
Artists Associated with Contemporary Middle Eastern Art — 29 artists:
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