Iman Issa

This series pairs objects and texts to reevaluate and reinterpret visual art from the 20th century. Issa aims to unpack the possibilities of the original works' titles in order to offer new physical expression of their meanings. Issa remakes historical artworks— including drawings, oil paintings, and lithographs—by presenting framed texts that detail the original work with a new reinterpreted artwork, never disclosing the original art. The display's title is only a hint. The viewer's role is to then reconsider the relationship between object and language; he or she reads the accompanying text that describes the initial artwork and must reconcile Issa's new object. Lexicon was first shown in 2014 at the 8th Berlin Biennial and shown again in 2015 at Rodeo Gallery, London.

This installation was first revealed in the Abraaj Group Art Prize exhibition, "extra | ordinary" in 2013. It consists of 54 framed text panels, 14 framed chromogenic prints, five wooden sculptures, five painted white plinths, and a caption. The text panels feature quotes from the famous Arab writers: Edward Said, Mourid Barghouti, Taha Hussein, and Nawal Al-Saadawi. Issa picked five autobiographies from the aforementioned writers and lifted excerpts that communicated snippets of their lives tied to broader socio-political context. Functioning as one comprehensive installation, each component contributing to the overall narrative Issa wished to communicate.

Han Nefkens Foundation-MACBA Contemporary Art Award (2012)

Platform Garanti Contemporary Art Center, Accented Residency (2010)

Iman Issa has been producing art since 2001 in various mediums including sculpture, text, video, and photography. Memory and familiarity permeate Issa's work as she navigates through history, language, and political and civic duty. She incorporates three major themes in her art: specificity, site, and movement. Curator Ryan Inoyue of Sharjah Biennial 12 writes that Issa has "developed an aesthetic that mines the latent meaning and transformational potential of objects, ideas, and figures that appear out of sync with our times." Many of her artworks have been inspired by existing monuments or objects but these initial sources of inspiration remain unknown. Hints are provided in subjective titles which describe something about the original work, but in subverting titular restrictions, Issa opens up her works for reinterpretation and communication. Her artwork is aesthetically minimalist and at times, incorporates various mediums to culminate in one artwork she calls a "display."

Iman Issa was born in Cairo, Egypt in 1979. In 2001, she completed her bachelor's degree at the American University in Cairo. She initially studied philosophy and political science, and then continued to pursue photography when the university launched a visual arts program. Issa moved to New York in 2005, and completed her MFA at Columbia University two years later.