Craft and Folk Art Museum, Los Angeles, CA
September 30, 2018 – January 6, 2019
Of Thorns and Love
The first solo museum exhibition in Los Angeles of the Egyptian-born, L.A.-based artist at the Craft & Folk Art Museum, Los Angeles, CA. Known for her investigations into cultural identity and lost feminist histories, this new body of work represents her focused exploration of Egyptian feminist activist and poet Doria Shafik (1908-1975). Shafik was instrumental in securing political rights for women in Egypt, but her legacy has been erased by generations of Egyptian leadership. For this exhibition, Guirguis presents paper-cut paintings, sculptures, and a site-specific adobe structure inspired by Shafik’s activism and poetry. In this way, Shafik may reclaim her place in history, in collective memory, and in the physical sites she occupied during her life. For more information on the life and work of Doria Shafik visit her official memorial website.
Photo Credit: Panic Studio L.A.
Of Thorns and Love, 2018. Installation view. Photo Credit: Panic Studio L.A.
LEFT: Larmes D'Isis, 2018. Wood, cotton rope, acrylic paint and adobe. 108 x 16 inches. RIGHT: Triple Disk Lotus (here I have returned), 2018. Mixed media on hand-cut paper mounted on MDF. 48 x 48 Inches. Photo Credit: Panic Studio L.A.
Larmes D'Isis, 2018 (detail). Wood, cotton rope, acrylic paint and adobe. 108 x 16 inches. Photo Credit: Panic Studio L.A.
Azbakeya (will you welcome me this time), 2018. Mixed media on hand-cut paper. Photo Credit: Panic Studio L.A.
Azbakeya (with a little more love), 2018. Mixed media on hand-cut paper. 26 x 74 Inches. Photo Credit: Panic Studio L.A.
Azbakeya (sun disk), 2018. Mixed media on hand-cut paper. 28 x 74 inches. Photo Credit: Panic Studio L.A.
Storming Parliament II, 2018. Mixed media on hand-cut paper. 76 x 20 Inches. Photo Credit: Panic Studio L.A.
Storming Parliament I, 2018. Mixed media on hand-cut paper. 76 x 27 Inches. Photo Credit: Panic Studio L.A.
Triple Disk Lotus (here I have returned), 2018. Mixed media on hand-cut paper mounted on MDF. 48 x 48 Inches. Photo Credit: Panic Studio L.A.
Placeless II, 2017. Mixed media on paper, mounted on wood. 14 x 11 Inches. Photo Credit: Panic Studio L.A.
Placeless I, 2017. Mixed media on paper, mounted on wood. 14 x 11 Inches. Photo Credit: Panic Studio L.A.
Of Thorns and Love, 2018. Adobe, jute and gold leaf. Dimensions variable. Photo Credit: Panic Studio L.A.