Ran from Jan 17, 2006 to Feb 11, 2006
Layton Gallery

This exhibition provides a visual forum for one of the greatest challenges to humanity in the 21st century - the conflict of values and perceptions between Western, Eurocentric countries and the Middle Eastern world as experienced through a group of women artists of Middle Eastern descent:

• Lida Abdul - Afghanistan born video/photography artist who lives in Kabul and Los Angeles. Abdul was the Afghanistan representative to the 2005
  Venice Biennale and has exhibited widely throughout the U.S., Europe, and
  Middle East. She will also be showing a video entitled “Military Body,” which was produced in 2004.
• Taraneh Hemami - Iranian born painter/mixed media artist now living in the San Francisco Bay area. She has created a multi-media installation specifically for this venue.


• Zineb Sedira - Video and photo installation artist of Algerian descent wholives in London. She will show her 2003 video “Retelling Histories,” in which she and her mother have a conversation in French and Arabic, respectively, about her mother’s and other women’s roles in the Algerian War of Independence.
• Fahimeh Vahdat - Iranian born painter/printmaker/installation artist, currently MIAD Associate Professor of Painting and Printmaking. She will be showing the series of large drawings - “What Will Befall Her?” (2003/2006) - depicting the pandemic physical and psychological violence against women
  against a backdrop of symbols and text.

A panel discussion on Thursday, February 2, at 6:30 p.m., will discuss such issues as pandemic violence toward women, profiling of Middle Eastern people living in the west, and the ravages of war. A reception will follow.

The exhibition is curated by MIAD Gallery Director Mark Lawson with the advice and assistance of Fahimeh Vadat. It is part of the new exhibition series Culture in Transition.

Vahdat: Slaughter of the Innocents, charcoal on paper

Terena Henami: Most Wanted series

Zineb Sedira: Retelling Stories, video, 2003

Lida Abdul: Military Body, video, 2004