Work Of Shahzia Sikander At Sydney Museum

Curated by MCA Senior Curator Rachel Kent, the MCA exhibition will include a major site-specific work which the artist will create directly onto the gallery wall. The work will be completed by the artist over a two-week period in the lead up to the opening of the exhibition on 27 November.

Sikander’s work is characterised by its precision of line and delicacy of touch: from tightly structured miniature paintings to larger, more loosely formed watercolours in which pigments stain and bleed into one another. Historical tradition meets contemporary interpretation, incorporating both figurative and abstract elements. Since 2001 Sikander has also worked with digital animation, setting her miniatures into physical motion. Images break apart and reform in new hybrid permutations, while sound adds a further dimension.

Sikander was recently awarded the prestigious MacArthur Award, from the Chicago-based Macarthur Foundation. The Award is given “to talented individuals who have shown extraordinary originality and dedication in their creative pursuits”. Sikander was recognised by the Macarthur Award for “merging the traditional South Asian art of miniature painting with contemporary forms and styles to create visually compelling, resonant works on multiple scales and in a dazzling array of media”. Shahzia Sikander runs at the Museum Of Contemporary Art from 27 November 2007 until 17 February 2008. -- www.mca.com.au