BEST OF 2013 Best Interviews in 2013
Dec 27, 2013 Interview
In 2013 we were inspired by interesting interviews with amazing artists, gallery owners, curators and institutions leaders. Let us remember them:
Contemporary Islamic Crafts
AN INTERVIEW WITH DR. NAZEIH TALEB MAAROUF, HEAD OF THE CRAFTS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM, IRCICA"If we consider Islamic art as a glorious present from Islamic culture to human culture, we see that crafts are in fact its actual translation. They are an expression of beauty that has tried and is still trying to contribute various images of creativity that lead to the enrichment of the Islamic cultural heritage." (Dr. Nazeih Taleb Maarouf)
Dr. Nazeih Taleb Maarouf / Courtesy of IRCICA
‘Across Borders’: The Exchange of Art and Ideas beyond Cultural Frontiers
AN INTERVIEW WITH HEIDI AND FRANZ LEUPI, THE OWNERS OF AB GALLERY“The art world in the Middle East is refreshingly young and innovative, although within this region there are, of course, great differences in style and approach!†(Heidi and Franz Leupi)
Installation view of the 'Summer exhibition' in 2012 at AB Gallery Lucerne / Courtesy of AB Gallery / Courtesy of AB Gallery
An Islamic Calligrapher in Texas: The Art of Sana Naveed
AN INTERVIEW WITH PAKISTANI-AMERICAN CALLIGRAPHER SANA NAVEED“One's spiritual progress is definitely directly linked to one’s improvement in the art of calligraphy. It is a sacred art because it expresses mostly the words of the Holy Qur’an. It requires a great deal of patience and peacefulness within the heart. If the heart is restless or distracted, the outcome is sloppy... I find myself only doing well when I’m totally involved with mind, body and soul, otherwise the art will suffer.“ (Sana Naveed)
'Ayat al Kursi' by Sana Naveed, detail / 2010, 30x30 in, acrylic, inks / Courtesy of the Artist
The Divine is in the Detail
AN INTERVIEW WITH PAKISTANI ARTIST AISHA KHALID"You can only achieve beauty when you experience the lengthy time and process as soothing, peaceful and spiritual and not as laborious. Repetition is also a critical aspect of how I make my work. Because it helps in the act of meditation, it is a necessary part of the process. For me, that is everything—the act of making." (Aisha Khalid)
Aisha Khalid / Wound is a Place Where Light Enters You, 2013. Gouache and gold leaves on paper board. Triptych, 116.8 x 82.5 cm / 32.5 x 46 in. each panel, overall 116.8 x 247.5 cm / 32.5 x 138 in / Courtesy of Gallery Isabelle van den Eynde, Dubai
Between Utopia and Dystopia
AN INTERVIEW WITH PALESTINIAN ARTIST LARISSA SANSOUR"Due to the repetitive nature of the situation, the world has long since become immune to footage and stories from Palestine. I think humour brings forth a humanness that rational documentation are unable to achieve. It is also able to reengage the interest of audiences worldwide and look at the conflict with fresh eyes and a new perspective." (Larissa Sansour)
Larissa Sansour / Nation State - Window / Courtesy of Lawrie Shabibi and the Artist
The Deconstruction of Calligraphy and the Deeper Complexity of the Written Word
AN INTERVIEW WITH IRANIAN-BORN, NEW YORK ARTIST POURAN JINCHI"It is fascinating how art is the fruit of the artist's life experience and labor. The artist is the loving gardener tending to the tree in hope of a perfect fruit." (Pouran Jinchi)
Pouran Jinchi / Untitled #1 (The Blind Owl Series), 2013, Enamel on Panel, side view / Courtesy of the Artist and The Third Line
Art Without Translation
AN INTERVIEW WITH IRANIAN ARTIST GOLNAZ FATHI"Over the years I have tried to transform calligraphy into forms and composition. These gestures - both rhythm and form - fascinate me." (Golnaz Fathi)
Golnaz Fathi / Untitled, 2010, acrylic on canvas, 144x470 cm / Courtesy of Pearl Lam Galleries and the Artist
Contemporary Art from Saudi Arabia in Amsterdam
AN INTERVIEW WITH AARNOUT HELB, FOUNDER AND CURATOR OF GREENBOX MUSEUM“The museum seems to surprise people when they visit. The Dutch audience doesn't expect Saudi Arabians to make intelligent artwork. I think people are even scared of the country. In the media Saudi Arabia is bit like a dragon in a fairy tale.“ (Aarnout Helb)
The Greenbox Museum of Contemporary Art from Saudi Arabia, installation view / Courtesy of the Greenbox Museum
Muslima: Muslim Women’s Art and Voices
AN INTERVIEW WITH SAMINA ALI, CURATOR OF THE IMOW SHOW"That's the beauty of this global exhibition: Muslim women are speaking in their own voices/through their own artwork to address their personal passions, to tell their personal stories, to express themselves." (Samina Ali)
Semina Ali / Photo: © Thayer Gowdy
The Message of Multicultural Awareness
AN INTERVIEW WITH MULTIMEDIA ARTIST SHAFAQ AHMAD"The repetitive calligraphy is a way to meditate like in Zikr or Tasbeeh on the names of Allah. I feel that the meaning of each word is absorbed in me while meditating on it. The layered calligraphic marks represent the intertwined lives of people of all backgrounds and nations and the similarities that exist all around the world among them creating a multicultural fabric." (Shafaq Ahmad)
Shafaq Ahmad / Transparent Veils, detail. Wood, oil paint and plexiglass, Plexiglass 86.5 x 76cm, Plinth 78.5x76x76 cm, 2010 / Courtesy of the Artist
Islamic Art with a Modern Twist
AN INTERVIEW WITH BRITISH ARTIST ZARAH HUSSAIN
Zarah Hussain / Isometric Wave, wood, gesso, oil Paint, 180 x 150 cm, 2012 / Courtesy of the Artist
Harmony, Repetition and Vivid Colors of the Bosnian Kilim
AN INTERVIEW WITH AN AWARD-WINNING BOSNIAN ARTIST AMILA SMAJOVICWe discussed the preservation of the Bosnian tradition of carpet weaving with an award-winning Bosnian artist Amila Smajovic who is currently working as an Assistant Professor for Visual Arts and Communication Design Department at the International University of Sarajevo.
Amila Smajovic / Courtesy of the Artist
Exploring the Shapes and Curves of Arabic Letters
AN INTERVIEW WITH IRAQI- BRITISH ARTIST SABAH ARBILLII see shape, form, curves and edges in Arabic letters and all these factors give me a total attachment to the beauty of Islamic art in general and Arabic calligraphy in particular. I don't see myself as a conventional calligrapher because studying engineering gave me a wider vision of the dynamics in understanding the space around me and to what extended I can be flexible with my designs. (Sabah Arbilli)
Sabah Arbilli / Element, mixed media, 140x140 cm, 2013 / Courtesy of the Artist
Of Drones and Dreams
AN INTERVIEW WITH PAKISTANI ARTIST MAHWISH CHISTYMahwish studied at the National College of Art of Lahore, specialising in miniature painting, before immigrating to the United States where she earned her MFA from the University of Maryland in 2008. Mahwish continues to work in the miniature genre but also produces multimedia installations that draw from both Eastern and Western traditions.
Mahwish Chisty, Aab-e-Hayaat (Fountain of youth), Wood and Flash animation video projection, 2007 / Courtesy of the Artist
Screening Place, Time and the Body
AN INTERVIEW WITH IRANIAN ARTIST ANAHITA NOROUZI"My images are primarily the illustration of uncomfortable situations that I confront in my life, a way to recapture my personal history in order to reflect on my living experiences." (Anahita Norouzi)
Anahita Norouz / 'We all knew that here is the place of ordinary objects' / Courtesy of the Artist
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