ISCP Talk
August 27, 2013

Salon: Jaffar Al Oraibi, Waheeda Malullah and Mohamed Sharkawy

Please join us for a special Salon with our summer residents sponsored by Al Riwaq Art Space, Bahrain.

Jaffar Al Oraibi ‘s paintings continue his inquiry into the role of the individual in society, particularly the concept of manhood and the role that men play in contemporary society. Often representations of animals in the work refer to human characteristics and behaviors that highlight the tension between self and other, as well as the feeling of alienation between the individual and the group.

Although Waheeda Malullah’s output is video and photography, her practice is conceptual with an emphasis on elements of play. She thinks and reacts intuitively, without plan. Recently, her work explores gender equality and alternative lifestyles for women in the Middle East.

Mohamed Sharkawy’s work is reminiscent of Egyptian wall paintings and is created in the aesthetic tradition of his village Qena, near Cairo. Unadorned and unaffected, his work is a vision of childlike simplicity, although it is not naive but rather employs his astute ability to communicate the fundamentals of life though a universal visual language.

ISCP Talk
August 13, 2013

Curating Pacific Spaces: Recent Developments in Contemporary Art from the South Pacific

On August 13th, the International Studio & Curatorial Program (ISCP) presents the panel Curating Pacific Spaces: Recent Developments in Contemporary Art from the South Pacific. New Zealand is home to one of the largest populations of Pacific people in the world, however Indigenous Pacific artists and curators have, until recently, rarely been featured in the art history of this nation. Today a new generation of indigenous artists endeavor to have their contribution to the contemporary art scene of the South Pacific fully recognized.

Curators of contemporary Māori and Pacific Islander art, Reuben Friend and Shelley Jahnke, will present their findings on recent developments in contemporary Pacific Art, from trends in the private gallery scene to the latest generation of emerging millennial artists. Reuben Friend’s findings highlight the types of contemporary Pacific Art currently being exhibited in public galleries in New Zealand and how these works translate to an international audience. Shelley Jahnke’s research examines the dynamics of selling and positioning contemporary Māori and Pacific Art within New Zealand and international markets.

Reuben Friend is an artist and curator of Māori and Pākehā lineage. From 2009-2013, he worked as the Curator of Māori and Pacific Arts at City Gallery and recently relocated to Brisbane where he works as the Exhibition Manager at Logan Art Gallery while developing contemporary Pacific art projects on a freelance basis.

Shelley Jahnke is a Māori curator with experience working within public and commercial galleries in New Zealand. Prior to taking up the role of curator, at Te Manawa Art Gallery, Palmerston North, she worked exclusively for an Asian-based private international art collector and contributed to the curation and project management of the international touring show Roundabout. This ambitious three year project debuted at the City Gallery, Wellington in late 2010 and later the Tel Aviv Museum of Art in 2012.

The presentation will be facilitated by ISCP artist-in-residence Shigeyuki Kihara. 

ISCP Talk
August 6, 2013

Salon: Mojé Assefjah and Yang Yeung

Mojé Assefjah will discuss her interest in uncovering landscapes in her work. By applying multiple thin layers using the almost-forgotten egg tempera technique and India ink, the artist produces color effects that evoke Italian frescoes of the early Renaissance.

Yang Yeung will discuss her tri-fold practice: running the non-profit organization Soundpocket, independent curating and editing and independent publishing for artists. 

Participating Residents