a center for creative development
Topaz Arts presents “Beyond Portraits”
- a group exhibition featuring works by
Kameelah Janan Rasheed
Qinza Najm
Weidi Zhang
Zain AlSowaigh
On view November 12 to December 21, 2014
opening reception: Wed, November 12, 6-9pm
viewing by appointment: visit@topazarts.org
at TOPAZ ARTS, 55-03 39th Avenue, Woodside, NY
directions >
Topaz Arts is proud to present “Beyond Portraits” – a group exhibition featuring works by Kameelah Janan Rasheed, Qinza Najm, Weidi Zhang, Zain AlSowaigh. Approaching new portraiture, the exhibition features paintings, installation, mixed media and photography, giving new light in the diverse “portrait” of female artists.
Kameelah Rasheed culls from her family history, using personal objects to fill the space for her sixth iteration installation of “NO INSTRUCTIONS FOR ASSEMBLY”. Installation as ritual, Rasheed creates an ephemeral and portable archive of her family, in essence, a self-portrait.
Qinza Najm creates works in canvas and in performance. Her large-scale paintings combine East and West sensibilities by using Islamic and Western architectural and abstract elements, while her collaborative art performance called #DamnILookGood uses new media, including the use of the “selfie”, inviting others into the process of questioning and addressing stereotypes of Muslims living in the West.
Weidi Zhang makes photographs that satisfy her sense of beauty. For this exhibition, Zhang’s portraits of artist Zain AlSowaigh oscillate between representing and representation, showing the artist at work and also as Art.
Zain AlSowaigh works in a variety of media, inviting the viewer into her stream of daily thoughts – moments depicted to represent our existence and to find poetic meaning in everyday life. By parodying mass media and exaggerating certain formal aspects inherent to society, she makes works that can be seen as self-portraits.
Design by Graph Paper Press
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