OPENING RECEPTION

Saturday, January 11th, 6-830PM

“INTRODUCTION TO ILLUMINATION” WORKSHOP

Saturday, February 22nd, 11am-5pm

Twelve Gates Arts is proud to present this solo exhibition of the art of illumination by Iranian-American artist, Behnaz Karjoo. Immanence refers to the divine presence in the material world, as explored in Sufi literature. This theme is reflected in Karjoo's works on paper within the exhibtion. Islamic Illumination, known as tazhib, is an art form that has been practiced in many parts of the Muslim world for over a millennium. Tazhib is derived from the Arabic word zahab, which means gold. Tazhib was primarily used to decorate manuscripts, a practice which still continues today. Today, tazhib is usually practiced in conjunction with calligraphy. Illuminators use small brushes to create a wide variety of motifs from crushed gold, gouache, watercolor, and natural pigments. In the accompanying workshop, students will be introduced to the material and techniques of this traditional art.

Tehran born artist Behnaz Karjoo began studying Illumination (tazhib) under Mujgan Baskoylu, a master of Turkish illumination, miniature painting, and paper cutting. Her works have been exhibited in various venues in the U.S. and the Middle East. The exhibition Immanence: Tazhib in America will be on view through the 22nd of February. The artist will conduct a workshop of Tazhib on Saturday 2/22 from 11am-5pm. Seats are limited. Please contact info@twelvegatesarts.org by Saturday, Feb. 15th to register.