Mideast Art

The Art of Revolting: An Evening with Artist Khalid Hussein

Last week, the Levantine Cultural Center hosted Hybrid, an art exhibition showcasing the works of Khalid Hussein. The public and art enthusiasts alike were also treated to an interesting discussion with the artist himself at the “Art and the Arab Spring” panel discussion on July 28.

Hussein engaged in one-on-one discussions with guests to share the meaning behind his paintings, and concluded the evening with a comprehensive presentation on the “Arab Spring” and its relevance to art. He describes his work as a “political series inspired by the people of the Middle East.” Hussein started working on his collection in December 2010, but since the outbreak of revolutions in the Middle East, he has focused on studying the state of affairs of that region more deeply. The political and social references in his work relate to the ongoing political and social issues of the region, and serve to raise awareness about the trials and triumphs of people struggling for a brighter future. The fight for freedom and democracy, and the will to bring about meaningful change, are all reflected in Hussein’s paintings.

The Beauty of Conflicts: Q&A with Adel Abidin

What is Art? In contemporary society do we still cling to the idea that Art is only a canvas, framed and hung on a gallery wall? Or a sculpture fully rendered and placed on a pedestal? Do we allow for new forms to infiltrate our established definitions of Art or do we keep them sequestered in the margins?

Adel Abidin, a contemporary Iraqi artist working out of Helsinki, Finland views Art as his communicative tool — a tool that allows him to express his argument through the visual language. His work is as varied as they come, ranging from photography, to contemporary sculptural elements and mixed media, as well as provocative and ideology-bending video installations.

Abidin sat down with Aslan Media to discuss what it means to be an artist in the digital age, how his education influenced his art, and what life is like in the diaspora of contemporary Iraq.

Armed with a Paintbrush: Q&A with Farah Ossouli

Every once and while an artist appears on the international scene whose work hypnotizes an audience, forcing them to stop and take in, in a meaningful way, what they are seeing. Iranian painter Farah Ossouli is one of those artists.

The rich patterns and saturated colors Ossouli employs in her work are visually arresting. Ranging in subject matter from autobiographical to quasi-religious, Ossouli lends a breadth and range to her paintings, adding to the multi-faceted quality of this talented artists.

Born in in 1953 in Zanjan, Iran, Ossouli has been living the life of an artist since childhood. She received her B.A in graphic design from Tehran University and has not stopped painting since.

Meaning in the Hidden Spaces: Q&A with Negar Ahkami

Have you ever looked at one of those puzzle pictures? You know, in the old Highlights magazines that you would most likely read while you waited to receive your annual flu shot at the doctor’s office? The puzzle pictures are the “hidden pictures” in which everything looks normal at first sight, but you are challenged by the caption beneath the image to discover what aspect of the image is alien, which infinitesimal speck(s) on the page don’t belong.

I used to sit idle in the corner of the waiting room, curled up atop a beanbag chair, searching for these hidden items, ignorant of time flying by.

Life Through the View Finder: Q&A with Photographer Firooz Zahedi

If you look at the poster for Pulp Fiction, Quentin Tarantino’s cult classic from 1994, your mind may not directly associate the image of Uma Thurman lying on a bed smoking in a short black bobbed wig with Iran. Nor would you immediately guess that the man responsible for that iconic photograph also took some of the intimate, beautiful, and exotic images of late film icon Dame Elizabeth Taylor. That man is Iranian photographer Firooz Zahedi.

During a diplomatic tour Ms. Taylor took to Iran in 1976, Zahedi captured striking images of the star and humanitarian. Those images are now on view at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art in Los Angeles, California. In addition to being featured in the exhibition Elizabeth Taylor in Iran, the images will now call LACMA home, as they were recently acquired as part of the museum’s permanent collection.

Born in Iran in 1949, Zahedi spent most of his adolescence in England. Upon entering university, Zahedi moved to the US and studied Foreign Service at Georgetown University. Selecting not to pursue a career in diplomacy, Zahedi began taking courses at the prestigious Corcoran School of Art instead.