![Torn, 2009](/sites/default/files/styles/max_1300x1300/public/2021-09/5904.EX8968_07.jpg?itok=z3X2npqn)
Torn, 2009
Shirazeh Houshiary
Iran, b. 1955
Torn, 2009
Pencil and white acrylic on canvas
Promised gift of the Foundation Ink
Shirazeh Houshiary’s artworks are often produced by the diligent layering of pencil lines paired with acrylic or Aquacryl pigment. In Torn, serrated lines emanate in a spiral, forming a translucent veil. The veil, or membrane, is a recurring motif in her practice and can be seen as a metaphor for the barrier that shields us from our awareness of our own existence. Transcending above the influence of any one religion, Houshiary’s artworks exude an unmistakably spiritual quality
© Shirazeh Houshiary, photo by Ellen Page Wilson, courtesy of the artist