Rigorous and Surprising: The Art of Steven Naifeh

In painting and sculpture, Steven Naifeh explores the affinity between the geometric abstraction of Western art and the millennium-old tradition of Arab and Islamic abstraction. The 15 large-scale works in this exhibition reflect the many shared influences between them. Naifeh typically works in series, several of which are represented here. In some, the geometric form remains constant while scale and color change. Colors run a beautiful rainbow of jewel tones – gemstones and precious metals. Sometimes Naifeh translates his paintings into limestone sculptures. All offer rich ideas for exploration: formal beauty, the nature of abstraction and the intersection of mathematics and art.

Credit: Exhibition overview from museum website.