Lawrie Shabibi would like to announce its participation in Art 13, London’s new modern and contemporary art fair. The gallery will be presenting works by Shahpour Pouyan, Asad Faulwell and a collaborative work of Sama Alshaibi and Dena Adeeb, all curated around the theme of war as a timeless and cyclical nature of violence. Through their work the artists draw on the past weaving history and cultural influence into their work to explore contemporary notions of power, war and death. Shahpour Pouyan draws from the culture and traditions of his country- Iran, whereas Faulwell, in his series Les Femme D’Alger, uses iconic images and motifs of Algerian women freedom fighters. Sama Alshaibi and Dena Adeeb reflect on their lived experiences and personal bodily memory of war in Iraq through their series Baghdadi Mem/Wars.

The booth will revolve around one of Pouyan’s ‘Projectiles’ which will be suspended in the centre of the booth. Made from intricately decorated armour and antique-style military helmets, these suspended monuments are strong symbols of dominance and power, yet at the same time are light, refined and have an air of luxury. On the surrounding wall space will be Asad Faulwell’s series Les Femme D’Alger. Inspired by the Algerian War of Independence (1954-1962), Faulwell features repeated motifs of the women who fought alongside the men to save their country. The repetition of the images and the quasi-religious imagery he employs give these works the air of devotional shrines. On the adjacent wall will be Sama Alshaibi and Dena Adeeb’s body of work. Entitled Still/Chaos and consisting of nine photographs, the work depicts two female protagonists (performed by the artists themselves) trapped in a collapsing white padded room resembling an insane asylum. In an increasingly enclosing space, the figures are propelled into one another with an intensifying interaction that crafts the dual faces of survival, rebellion and resignation.

Image: © Asad Faulwell, Lawrie Shabibi Gallery