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The Arts Intel Report

A Cultural Compass
For the World Traveler
A Cultural Compass
For the World Traveler

Anila Quayyum Agha: All the Flowers Are for Me

Dec 15, 2020 – May 30, 2021
953 Eden Park Dr, Cincinnati, OH 45202, United States

In Anila Quayyum Agha’s installations, everything starts with a steel cube. The Pakistani-American artist cuts the cube’s square faces with a laser, creating intricate geometries and floral motifs taken from Islamic art and architecture. Then she suspends the cube from the ceiling and lights it from within. The result? A floor, wall, and ceiling surround of arabesque and acanthus shadows—the space transformed into a floating infinity. These shadows remind Agha of the beauty and femininity of Pakistani wedding dresses, but they also speak to the inaccessibility of religious ceremonies for Islamic women. An Agha environment embraces all. —E.C.

Anila Quayyum Agha, “All the Flowers Are for Me (Red),” 2017. Courtesy of Cincinnati Art Museum, Cincinnati.