Anat Ebgi is pleased to announce a solo presentation with Jordan Nassar at Frieze New York in the Frame section from May 2 – 6.
Drawing from his Palestinian-American background, Nassar’s hand embroidered textile pieces address the ideas of cultural heritage, authenticity, nationality, and perception. Adapting traditional Palestinian patterns and symbols, Nassar merges the geographical and the decorative, creating intricate, abstract cartographies imbued with traditional iconography.
A suite of landscapes, with patterns culled from embroidered pillows he purchased from Palestinian women in the West Bank, is accompanied by works made in collaboration with the same women. Nassar’s work mirrors much of their original designs, positioning his dense, geometric landscapes as sites of exchange, questioning sovereignty and displacement. Accompanying the installation is a platform which references the domestic Arab majlis (sitting room), creating a setting for gathering, yet also indicating the absence of those who would otherwise be present. Nassar’s work expands upon the political history behind Palestinian craft, reclaiming both locality and technique through the medium’s ability to communicate and build community. The installation will be accompanied by Nassar’s new, limited-edition zine, Spirits Rebellious.
Jordan Nassar (b. 1985) lives and works in New York. Recent solo exhibitions include Dunya, Anat Ebgi, Los Angeles; Jaffa: New Works, Artport Tel Aviv; No Secret, LVL3 Gallery, Chicago; and And a Night, Evelyn Yard, London. He was recently included in group exhibitions at the Kotonah Museum of Art, NY; The Laband University Art Gallery, CA; Supportico Lopez, Berlin; and The Abrons Art Center, NY.
