For international artists Sabin Aell, Nina Ghanbarzadeh and Nirmal Raja ’08 (Painting) living between cultures is a way of life, influencing their lives, and their art.
These three female artists illustrate their sense of adventure and exploration in Material Girls, on view in the Brooks Stevens Gallery at the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design, July 22 – September 17, with an Opening Reception on Summer Gallery Day, July 23, 2 – 5 p.m. and a Gallery Talk beginning at 3 p.m.
Curated by Aell, Ghanbarzadeh and Raja, the exhibit illustrates their pasts through art, drawing from a tapestry of experiences stemming from living outside of their traditional cultures. Works are created using non-traditional materials, forming a visual collage that addresses the uncertain, the indescribable and the transcendental.
About the artists:
- Aell, originally from Austria, produces mixed media work, utilizing strange and unrelated materials to create visually interesting objects.
- Ghanbarzadeh, originally from Iran, transforms repetitive lines of text, utilizing various materials to create patterns and shapes, questioning the role of text and language in the search for a universal truth.
- Raja, originally from India, turns her fascination with memory, place and the subjective perception of time into works that combine conventional materials, indigenous practices and videos to create installations that toy with perception and illusion.
Material Girls is a tactile, colorful and experiential exhibition, pushing viewers to look deeper into the explorative artworks.
