Reflections: Contemporary Art of the Middle East and North Africa
Resource type
Book
Creator (person)
Porter, Venetia
Tripp, Charles
Morris, Natasha
Date published
2020
Abstract
The contemporary art of the Middle East and North Africa is rich and vibrant. Whether living in their countries of birth or in diaspora, the featured artists are part of the globalised world of art. Here we see artists responding to and making work about their present, histories, traditions and cultures, reflecting on a part of the world that has experienced extraordinary change in living memory. The British Museum has been acquiring the work of Middle Eastern and North African artists since the 1980s, and the collection – principally works on paper – is one of the most extensive in the public sphere. The introduction to the book by curator Venetia Porter explores the history of the collection and the works included. The essential framework for understanding the politics and context within which the artists is provided by an essay by Charles Tripp. The works are grouped into seven chapters, each beginning with a short introduction. The authors explore the section within themes such as faith, abstraction and the female gaze.
Publisher
British Museum Press
Place of publication
London
Keywords