Artists of the Middle East: 1900 to Now

(Hardback)

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Description

The first-ever A-Z of the major modern and contemporary artists of the Middle East.

The vibrant and varied art of the Middle East and North Africa is brought together in this beautifully illustrated book through the life and work of more than 250 artists, covering a 120-year period of creative activity from 1900 to the present day.

Each of the eighty alphabetically arranged, feature-length biographies offers a critical analysis of an artist's work and its cultural significance, as well as illustrating key works - beginning with Shafic Abboud (b. Lebanon, c. 1926) and closing with Charles-Hossein Zenderoudi (b. Iran, 1937). The selected works engage with significant issues of our age, both universal and regional; many are breathtaking and illuminating, and some are provocative. The book also includes concise biographies of more than 100 additional artists, giving fascinating insights into a richly creative region.

In an in-depth introduction, the book's author, Saeb Eigner, shares his intimate knowledge of the Middle East, its languages, literary and stylistic influences, and artistic innovations. Also explored is the region's varied art scene, its art movements and communities, and the ever-changing cultural, political and religious context in which the artists have been working.

As a work of reference, the book will be a fascinating and invaluable addition to the library of anyone interested in or engaged with the culture of the Middle East, and for those keen to broaden their knowledge of modern and contemporary art.

Author Bio

Saeb Eigner is an Arabist with a deep knowledge of the Middle East and a committed advocate of the arts. For several decades he has been an avid collector of modern and contemporary Middle Eastern art, and much of his collection is on long-term loan to the London Business School (of which he has been a governor for many years). Saeb Eigner was a senior adviser on the British Museum's exhibition Word into Art: Artists of the Middle East (2006; touring internationally from 2008, with Saeb acting as co-curator), and is author of Art of the Middle East: Modern and Contemporary Art of the Arab World and Iran (foreword by Zaha Hadid; Merrell, 2010).