Tradition and intersectionality collide in the work of L.A. artist Hayv Kahraman, an Iraqi native whose gender-themed figurative paintings make stylistic nods to Indian and Persian miniatures. In her two-space exhibition, “Not Quite Human,” Kahraman takes aim at the notion that women should relegate themselves to the role of “obedient object”—a common enough expectation in the Middle East that also has proponents in the West. Kahraman’s approach—depicting females models stacked one on top of the next in contorted poses—is meant to evoke a sort of rebellion against the societal constraints imposed on women. Energetic, erotic and gymnastic, Kahraman’s subjects tie themselves in knots in order to slip the cultural ropes that bind them.
“Not Quite Human” is also on view at Jack Shainman Gallery, 513 W 20th St