Taking Shape

Fall Visual Arts Guide 2022: ‘Taking Shape: Abstraction from the Arab World, 1950s–1980s’
Chicago Gallery News, September 2022

By Kyle MacMillan Sept 22-Dec. 4, “Taking Shape: Abstraction from the Arab World, 1950s-1980s,”Block Museum of Art, Northwestern University, 40 Arts Circle Drive, Evanston (blockmuseum.northwestern.edu). Mention abstraction in the United States, and visions of Richard Diebenkorn, Jackson Pollock and Clyfford Still immediately come to mind. But this artistic approach was hardly limited to this country. […]

The Shape of Things
NS Magazine, September 2022

By J.P. Anderson The Block Museum of Art unveils a dazzling new exhibition that explores the wonders of the Arab art scene. From Morocco and Palestine to Sudan, Qatar, Tunisia, Egypt and more, every fascinating corner of the Arab world is represented in the latest exhibition at Northwestern University’s Block Museum of Art. Taking Shape: Abstraction from […]

Broadening our view of abstract art with works from the Arab world and beyond
Northwestern Now, August 31, 2022

By Lindsay Bosch The Block Museum of Art at Northwestern University will present “Taking Shape: Abstraction from the Arab World, 1950s –1980s,” Sept. 22 to Dec. 4, 2022. The exhibition features mid-20th-century abstract art from North Africa, West Asia and the Arab diaspora work from the renowned Barjeel Art Foundation collection. The Block Museum is […]

Art Top 5: September 2022
Newcity Art, August 26, 2022

by Kerry Cardoza Taking Shape: Abstraction from the Arab World, 1950s–1980s (Block Museum) Nearly ninety works from the Barjeel Art Foundation feature nonfigurative work, incorporating Arabic calligraphy and Islamic decorative patterns into fresh interpretations of modernisms. Opens September 22, 2021 Read more

‘Taking Shape: Abstraction from the Arab World’, review by Aya Nimer
Ruckus Journal, Fall 2022

By Aya Nimer Often, the most intimate relationships we have in our lives are to the places we come to know and live in. Soetsu Yanagi highlights this relationship in The Beauty of Everyday Things, where he expresses how the objects around us comprise the most trustworthy companions of our everyday routines. These objects and places […]

Tampa Museum of Art showcases abstraction in the Arab World
83 Degrees, October 26, 2021

By Caitlin Albritton Sometimes, all it takes is a series of connections to make big things happen. That’s exactly how and why the exhibition Taking Shape: Abstraction from the Arab World, 1950s-1980s, is now open through Jan. 16, 2022, at the Tampa Museum of Art. Organized by New York University’s Grey Art Gallery from the impressive collection of […]

Tampa Museum of Art wants viewers to see themselves through artist’s eyes during Arabic art exhibit
Fox 13 News, October 9, 2021

The largest collection of Arabic abstract art is currently on display in Tampa at the Tampa Museum of Art. The exhibition called “Taking Shape: Abstraction from the Arab World, 1950s–1980s” contains pieces from the collection of the Barjeel Art Foundation. It features abstract art from the Arab nations, including Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, […]

New Arabian exhibit on display at Tampa Museum of Art
The Tampa Bay 100, October 6, 2021

By Peter Schorsch The Tampa Museum of Art has opened a new exhibition, “Taking Shape: Abstraction from the Arab World, 1950s-1980s.” The exhibit explores nearly 80 works of abstract art from North Africa, West Asia and the Arab diaspora – encompassing diverse cultural, linguistic and religious backgrounds. Curated by Suheyla Takesh and Lynn Gumpert, the exhibit draws from the […]

Arts This Week: ‘Abstraction from the Arab World’
GBH News, May 21, 2021

By Jared Bowen “Taking Shape: Abstraction from the Arab World, 1950s – 1980s,” on view at the McMullen Museum of Art through June 13. Discover a trove of abstract artwork never before seen in the United States at the McMullen Museum of Art. “Taking Shape: Abstraction from the Arab World, 1950s – 1980s” is a […]

Digital Booklet: “Taking Shape” NYU Student Writing Prize Winners

We are pleased to present a digital booklet featuring the six winning entries for the "Taking Shape" NYU Student Writing Prize competitions, which took place in fall 2020.