Simeen Farhat

Simeen Farhat engages the power of language and issues of identity in spirited, graceful sculptures. Using cast resin, Farhat renders epic Middle Eastern poems that call for freedom of thought in delicate yet chaotic three-dimensional forms. As she deconstructs the texts and layers individual phrases into sculptural word compounds, the overarching meaning of the ballads becomes abstracted. In this way, Farhat both laments forgotten freedoms and celebrates the cultural history of her native Middle East. Her installations have also incorporated ghostly, shrouded female figures that reference gender inequality, a pervasive example of contemporary oppression.