Domestic Affairs

Along a nearby wall, Iranian artist Zahra Imani renders real-life moments into imagined scenarios through four large textile works made up of various pieces of fabric. In the Gallery (2015) illustrates female patrons observing portraits of seated high-society women, whilst in the foreground of the work, a young boy is unashamedly peeking under a woman’s dress. For Imani, textile holds a significant personal importance beyond its primary role in our daily lives; her mother created small sewn toys and objects when the artist was a child and her father was a professional shoemaker—fabric, therefore, is deeply and intimately rooted in her upbringing. Elsewhere, taking a different approach toward the influence of familial life, Iranian artist Sara Rahmanian presents a series of acrylic paintings on both paper and canvas, which delves deeper into the nostalgic subconscious and nuances of one’s childhood. Thickly layered ink and acrylic gives a depth to simple compositions, such as mother and child in Infantile Spasm (2016) or a hand holding a small foot in Fearless (2016).

Tehran-based Nargess Hashemi, on the other hand, explores her familial culture with a sense of detachment, as an observer of traditions and customs. In her practice, Hashemi studies the various layers of domestic life, illustrating them through mixed-media drawings. Two untitled works from 2010 portray family gatherings drawn with a permanent marker on transparent plastic, which is then layered atop fabric with trimmings and sequins—one in gold and one in pink. In several other works, Hashemi layers tracing paper on top of various strands of colored yarn. In the Company of Colourful Threads (2015) shows a woman kneeling on the floor sweeping the carpet. The pen drawing is stapled on top of yarn that is attached to the background, expressing what Hashemi perceives as the multitude layering of life.  

In the work of Emirati artist Khalid al-Banna, abstract collages made from swaths of fabric come together to blend material from the past and the present. The vibrant colors of Wedding 01 and Wedding 02 (both 2016) reference the traditional souks from the UAE and evoke nostalgia for customs lost, while at the same time the heightened hues and busy configuration bring attention to the glitz that has come as a result of the country’s quickly modernizing landscape.

“Domestic Affairs” explores the intimate and the personal across a broad spectrum of experiences in daily life, from clashes between traditional and modern affairs to how textile is embedded in and informs our everyday occurrences.

 “Domestic Affairs” is on view at Gallery Isabelle van den Eynde, Dubai, until September 8, 2016.