Exhibition
14 September – 26 October 2012
Metaphorical Portal
new paintings by
Anne Barber-Shams
In jewel-like paintings steeped in the culture of the Golden Age of El-Andalus, Anne Barber–Shams explores the depths of the mihrab and its significance in the three monotheistic cultures of Andalusian Spain, pairing them with odes by Muslim, Christian and Jewish poets of a period of understanding and peace.
Acrylic paintings on paper, embellished with gold leaf, study the evocative shapes of doorway, gate, arch and niche; literal architectural and metaphorical as a portal uniting the ancient common ground found during the Andalusian period, where for 700 years the three monotheistic cultures of Muslims, Christians and Jews intermingled and flourished, bringing forth architectural, artistic, scientific and scholarly riches. Barber-Shams pairs these paintings with nine odes by Muslim, Christian and Jewish poets of the period, calligraphed in metal leaf on marbleized Mylar. She sees the odes as seeds of peace created during a turbulent time, the Dark Ages of Northern Europe contemporaneous with the liberal cultural understanding of the Golden Age in the south.
Anne Barber-Shams studied at Bullseye Studio in Portland, Oregon, and Padua, Italy, as well as graduating from the University of California, Santa Barbara, with a BA in Art. She first became involved with the situation in Palestine in 2001, and has since participated in numerous solo and group shows, concentrating on the subjects of building bridges to peace through art.
See Anne’s comments from the Opening Reception below:
Meet the Artist
-Anne Barber-Shams
Anne Barber-Shams resides in Oregon, studied for a year at the University of Padua, Italy, and graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara, with a BA in Art.
Her passion for peace in the Middle East and creation of art exploring the common ground among the three religions of the Middle East began after a compelling dream.
Oregon’s Regional Art and Culture Council awarded her a grant to create art based on the images of that dream and to curate her proposed exhibit, “The Wilderness Journey.” Together with the Palestinian artist Kanaan Kanaan and the Jewish artist Rhoda London, she exhibited at Mittleman Jewish Community Center and First Congregational Church. The next year, with Kanaan Kanaan and Jewish artist Shahna Lax, she curated and contributed to the art exhibit “Cross Cultural Bridges,” which exhibited at Havurah Shalom Synagogue and Bilal Mosque.
Barber-Shams continued her art studies at Marylhurst, where a mentor said, “The healer and the artist are the same person.” Seeing her mission to heal could follow multiple paths, she also practices and teaches healing massage therapies, all the while continuing her work in art. Her paintings and odes for The Jerusalem Fund Gallery has been exhibited in Oregon, and she hopes will travel to other venues to further peace and understanding among the three great religions.
