The present Doodle observes Palestinian-conceived craftsman Maliheh Afnan, who is generally respected among the main Middle Eastern artists of the 20th century. In what she called “written paintings,” her artifact-style mixed media investigates themes, for example, exile and displacement while recognizing Middle Eastern conflicts and the influence of her cultural heritage. The Institute of Contemporary Arts in Milan included Afnan’s 1979 piece “Wartorn” in a virtual group presentation “The Symmetry of Fragility,” which finished on this day in 2020.
Maliheh Afnan was brought into the world in Haifa, Palestine on March 24, 1935, preceding her family looked for refuge from battle in Beirut, Lebanon in 1949. Afnan was captivated with composed language as a youngster and filled pages with imaginary text and numbers, developing a striking style of abstract calligraphy. She moved to the U.S. in 1956 to seek after her fantasy about turning into a artist.
Afnan moved on from a M.F.A. program in 1962, during which her infusion of Arabic and Persian script into assignments motivated an teacher to acquaint her with American calligraphic artist Mark Tobey. Afnan cold pitched Tobey, who turned into her tutor and worked with her first European solo exhibition in 1971–a turning point in what developed into a more than 50-year career. She got back to Beirut in 1974, however the civil war forced her to move to Paris before at long last getting comfortable London in 1997.
Today, Afnan’s collections can be found in exhibitions across the Middle East, in various European museums, and in New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Here’s to you, Maliheh Afnan! Much thanks to you for composing a new script for future generations of artists.
