Art Funded by you

Riding the Written & Untitled IV

Shahzia Sikander, 1992

© Shahzia Sikander

These two works reflect the concerns of the artist. In 'Riding the Written' minute horses thunder off the sheet on to the moody indigo borders. On closer examination there is great animation, indeed chaos, in the little figures. Some of them seem to be truncated, the heads separated from the bodies. They recall moments of great historical upheaval - Mongol raids perhaps, or the tragic Partition of 1947. In the second work, Untitled IV, a birdlike motif appears in the right-hand corner. A number of such motifs can be seen on ceramic dishes from Iran, usually meant to incorporate a quotation, either sacred or secular. Here it is aloof, enigmatic, heraldic, and self-contained.

More information

Title of artwork, date

Riding the Written & Untitled IV, 1992

Date supported

1995

Medium and material

Screenprint, pigment & teawash on wasli

Dimensions

1) 37 x 25.5 cm. 2) 12 x 15.5 cm

Grant

225

Total cost

900

Content note: This object record is part of our archive and has not been updated since it was first published. It may contain inaccurate information or outdated language. Please get in touch if you think this record should be amended.

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