Intricate hand-woven wall hangings and new tulle veil constructions by Turkish artist Ani Afshar return to the Art Center. Woven Gardens, Shredded Shadows will reveal a selection of acclaimed landscape tapestries Afshar produced in the 1990s and debut artworks and installations created by Afshar since her return to weaving in 2007 that are being shown publicly for the first time. Guest curated by Frank Connet (artist and conservator) in consultation with Richard A. Born (Smart Museum, Senior Curator), the solo show will span decades of textile work by the artist.
Afshar began her relationship with the Hyde Park Art Center as an art teacher in the school over 25 year ago. The Art Center first exhibited her work in 1987 as part of a three-person exhibition also organized by Richard Born who then described her tapestries as “simultaneously utilitarian objects and works of independent beauty intended both for use and appreciation at the same time.” This rich foundation is re-kindled and expanded in the upcoming exhibition. This monographic show will focus on stylistic consistencies and remarkable bead work in Afshar’s textile compositions from the 1990s to the present. Afshar will also debut a large wall relief installation made of found Turkish fabrics, tulle, beads, and wire that explore the disintegration of material over time, adding a temporal dimension to her work not present in her woven pieces.
