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Email PageThree Arab Painters in New York
June 3, 2006- June 24, 2006
Reception: June 6, 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Samia Halaby, Sumayyah Samaha, Athir Shayota
The Bridge
521 W 26th StCurated by Maymanah Farhat
The Bridge gallery is pleased to announce an exhibition of Contemporary Arab art by New York-based Arab painters , Samia Halaby, Sumayyah Samaha and Athir Shayota. Three Arab Painters in New York provides the rare opportunity for the engagement of an American audience with Arab art that explores sociopolitical issues that deeply affect the Arab world and its expatriates.
Introspective work speaks of the loss of lives, destruction of homeland and the vulnerability of humanity that result from violent political conflicts. Juxtaposed with these personal explorations are profound expressions of resilience and hope. The exhibition finds its rest in universal values that transcend national, cultural and societal borders.
Halaby, Samaha and Shayota are three leading Arab artists who have been contributing to the world of contemporary international art for decades and have exhibited in museums and galleries throughout the United States. Varied in style, technique, medium, scale and artistic influence, the three present a glimpse into the diverse and complex nature of the Arab World's art and visual culture.
Palestinian artist Samia Halaby creates abstract paintings that articulate the inner strength of a population transcending an invasive military occupation. The exhibit also includes a series of Renaissance-inspired drawings by Halaby, which chronicle the tragedy of the 1956 Kafr Qasem massacre. Through intimate mixed media paintings, commanding charcoal drawings and fragile ceramic work, Lebanese artist Sumayyah Samaha confronts the viewer with the ugliness of war. Both Halaby's and Samaha's art reveal the devastating conditions under which hope struggles to survive.
The paintings presented in the exhibition by Iraqi artist Athir Shayota span over fifteen years. While Shayota's Iraqi figures are dignified and stoic, they possess psychological currents, projecting an intense apathy for the viewer and defiantly refusing interpretation.
Three Arab Painters in New York is curated by Maymanah Farhat, an art historian and specialist in Modern and Contemporary Arab art.
Books and DVDs related to artists in this show
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