The Columbia Museum of Art presents the first retrospective exhibition of the art of Steven Naifeh. Found in Translation: The Art of Steven Naifeh is open through Sunday, Sept. 1.
The 26 large-scale works of modern art on display reflect Steven’s personal taste, preferences and attitudes about geometric abstraction that developed over the span of 40 years. Born in Iran, the son of American diplomats, he spent his childhood in a succession of Foreign Service postings across three continents in the Middle East. Enriched by his Lebanese heritage and his time living in the Islamic and Arab worlds, Steven has shown an extraordinary ability to integrate the influences of these distant and timeless cultures into the global culture of today. This exhibition inspires visitors with a deeper understanding of the art of the Middle East, Northern India and Northern Africa.
Found in Translation is destined to inspire the Midlands’ community and open doors to understanding new cultures beyond our own.
“We all need to understand more about the world in which we live, and Steven’s exhibition is a smart, vibrant way of encountering Middle Eastern ideas,” says CMA Chief Curator, Will South.
RELATED PROGRAMS & EVENTS
Film: Islamic Art – Mirror to the Invisible World
June 6 at noon, June 8 at 1 p.m., June 23 at 1 p.m.
Narrated by Academy Award®-winning performer Susan Sarandon, this dazzling documentary reveals the variety and diversity of Islamic art. 90 minutes. Free with membership or admission.
Geometric Visions — On view in the Interactive Education Gallery.
June 11 through Aug. 11
Inspired by the exhibition, Eau Claire community members, CMA Passport to Art participants and CMA Spring Workshop students created paper and tile mosaics based on the concepts of simple geometry. Their works are on view beginning Tuesday, June 11.
Passport to Art: Shaping Up
June 9, noon to 3 p.m.
This drop-in studio program encourages families to create shapely masterpieces inspired by the exhibition. Free.
Found in Translation: A presentation by Steven Naifeh
June 18 at 7 p.m.
Steven Naifeh discusses the relationship between Western and Middle Eastern Art and his own process of conceiving and creating art. Q & A session follows the discussion. $12, $10 for members and $5 for students.
Lecture: Symbolism as Seen in Geometry of Islamic Art
July 19 at noon
Mana Hewitt, Undergraduate Director and McMaster Gallery Director at the U.S.C. Department of Art, discusses how Islamic art reveals a preference for surface patterns composed of geometric forms. Free with membership or admission.
Lecture: The Adornment of Geometry: Image, Text and Form
Aug. 9 at noon
Dr. Akel Kahera, Associate Dean of the College of Architecture, Art and Humanities at Clemson University, explores the major issues of image, text and form by in Islamic visual expression. Free with membership or admission.
Dinner and a Movie with Steven Naifeh
Aug. 18 at 5:30 p.m.
Spend an evening with Steven Naifeh enjoying a cocktail hour, gallery tour and BBQ dinner. Afterward, stroll down to the Nickelodeon Theater to enjoy popcorn, desserts and drinks while learning and watching how Naifeh’s book on Jackson Pollock became the film, Pollock. $100 and $75 for CMA and Nickelodeon members or $175 per couple and $125 per couple for members.
Artist Salon Series: Will South
Aug. 23 at noon
CMA Chief Curator Will South leads a tour of the exhibition. Free with membership or admission.
