A wide-shot of the a white studio with grey/brown wood floors, pieces of artwork about all of the walls

DECEMBER 14, 2024

“Gallerist Aisha Zia Khan talks about reclaiming contemporary art, and its social and political contexts”.

— Renuka Sawhney, Scrapbook

5 small orange/brown, sculpted, cartoon-like dolls with no arms or legs, 4 of them surrounding the 5th doll. They each have white cones sticking from their mouth areas.

“Under a political zeitgeist agitated by the thralls of Western imperialist history, Power/Play, the new group exhibit at Twelve Gates Arts, investigates which experiences of South Asian children – raised in the arms of propaganda, occupation, and multi-polar media – get to be humanized. Through mixed-media pieces, video installations, paintings, and ceramics, the works careen around the subject and its specific aesthetic in a journey from childhood to adulthood to the complicated, politically charged space in between.”

— Vriddhi Vinay, Artblog

A projection on a white fabric depicting a photo of a man and Arabic text in the center and corners in the shape of a diamond

“The newest exhibition at Twelve Gates Arts, whose mission is to amplify contemporary art from South to West Asia, is an immersive, psychedelic installation titled Alhamdu | Muslim Futurism. Conscious of the nuanced, weighted experience of being a Muslim in the U.S. diaspora today the exhibit invites the viewer to call and answer, again and again, what they envision as Islamic Futurism … This joint effort is dynamic and considers the current and historic issues of Islamophobia, anti-blackness, xenophobia, imperialism, and racism affecting both the Zeitgeist and material conditions of displaced Muslims. The video installation – titled “The Mirage,” meaning “praise be to God” – is credited to Shimul Chowdhury, Abbas Rattani, and Yusuf Siddiq from MIPSTERZ.”

— Vriddhi Vinay, Artblog

A projection on a white piece of fabric of a close-up of a woman's eye and eyebrow

“An immersive art installation, “The Mirage,” asks the viewer: What would a world rooted in the egalitarian values of Islam look like? And what do those experiencing the exhibit want to contribute to make that world a reality? … Inspired by schools of thought such as Afrofuturism and the teachings of people like Malcolm X, the installation transports viewers to a world where no one experiences oppression and asks them to reflect on their ability to create that world … While “The Mirage” is rooted in the theory of Muslim Futurism, the space it creates is meant to serve all communities. It’s already drawn in non-Muslims who are curious about the faith and about Muslim communities.”

— Massarah Mikati, The Philadelphia Inquirer

A photo of Atif Sheikh, Mehrin ("Mir") Masud-Elias, and Aisha Khan with the gallery director Farvah Shah, standing side-by-side

“The name “Twelve Gates,” was inspired by the gates that surround ancient cities around the world. Think Marrakesh in Morocco, Lahore in Pakistan, or Delhi in India. “Gates separate cities, but also, gates open to allow for the cross-cultural exchange of ideas and for starting dialogue,” said Khan, who grew up in Pakistan. Twelve Gates Arts received a $100,000 grant that will be disbursed over two years. Until now, the gallery has had only one full-time staffer, Khan, and two part-time staffers. Khan said the grant will help pay for an additional full-time staffer. It will also be used to spread the word about its mission.

“We want to support contemporary artists from the South Asian diaspora,” she said. “We especially want to help emerging artists. Philadelphia is a hub of artists and art schools. We want students to come and learn about what’s happening in the diasporic world.”

— Valerie Russ, The Philadelphia Inquirer

“Murtaza Vali, a Brooklyn- and Sharjah-based curator and critic, has organized what he calls a “peripatetic curatorial platform” that explores the cascading effects of this historical cataclysm. Proposals for a Memorial to Partition opened in 2022 at Dubai’s Jameel Arts Centre and now appears, in a new and smaller iteration, at Twelve Gates Arts. Thirteen makers from around the globe offer up sculptures, small-scale installations, drawings, paintings, videos, sound recordings, and artist books in the storefront space. Though the title refers to the idea of a memorial, the show eschews almost entirely the oft-related notion of the monumental. Instead, modestly sized works, some as small as a postcard, present opportunities to connect the unhealed wounds of the past to the rawness of the present.”

— Aruna D’Souza, 4 Columns

An artistic piece of a white, almost mesh or scale-like pattered fabric on the wall
The corner of a white room - The left wall with a grid of square, colored artworks and headphones; the right with a small projection of a woman

“Remnants of Another starts and ends cyclically, in a multi-media culmination of Indo-Caribbean ways of life, powered by the strength and ties of women and the cultural elements that bind them. On an afternoon at Twelve Gates Gallery, the light from the window illuminates the painted figures or those depicted through the digital image to evoke a neverending story of cultural preservation. As the entire exhibit tells a story, part archival lesson and part glimpse into many perspectives, it unmistakably shows the relationship of how the ties between women and gender non-conforming people were crucial to cultural survival. From the portraits of Indentured Laboring women to the short films showing the relationships between women to the figures D’Ornellas depicted together, the exhibit highlights the strength of women between each other, no matter when or where their space and place in history.”

— Vriddhi Vinay, Artblog

A teal background with a small, brown-colored, drawn passport photo of a man

“As the saying goes, “the winner tells the tale,” and photography is an effective tool of oppression and surveillance against the “other.” Viswanathan, assistant professor of modern and contemporary art history at the University of Hartford, says photographs can be used to “silence a narrative, to dehumanize conceptions of faraway conflict.” Colonial populations living under imperial rule are photographed against their will and portrayed as bizarre (at best) by those wielding power, and the “enemy” in conflicts is demonized; these tactics numb us to their humanity. Another way to bury a story is simply not to tell it, leaving people and cultures out of the frame.”

— Emily Schilling, Broad Street Review

A photo of Aisha Khan, Arooj Aftab, Shahzia Sikander, and Fariha Khan standing side-by-side at “The Artists’ Talk.” (Image: Ana Glassman)

“Art is how we learn to tell stories about our truths and how we negotiate a place in the world for future generations,” Sikander said. “It is also about problem solving. It is pulling yourself out of a dark space into light. It’s fluid.” Creativity and storytelling are a beautiful gift, she said, and all of us have it.

— Kristina Garcia, Penn Today

4 small, yellow, sculpted candles of men, 3 of them on horses, one seated on a sofa. The heads of the men are the wicks and are aflame.

“What ALTER accomplishes is the transformation of a white cube into a space of spiritual, consumerist, and political reflection. A visitor to the exhibition might be equally inspired to pray, meditate, confess, rage, or invest in a new piece for their growing collection. Padder and the works of these seven artists invite us to acknowledge and reflect on the interconnectedness of faith, objects, and money that the field of contemporary art so often neglects. Leaving the gallery, the exhibition asks of us: how have you been altered? And what on your pedestal (be it religious, nationalist, or art historical) warrants burning down?” 

— Emily Alesandrini, The Offing

A wide-shot of a white studio with grey/brown wooden floors, with 6 large, vibrant paintings evenly placed about the walls

Patrick Coué sees the materially-complex paintings by Shwarga Bhattacharjee, a 2018 MFA graduate of Tyler School of Art, and calls the works a perfect immersion into a reverie space far away from our “world of constant mediated inputs.” The works are both abstract historical landscapes and topographic maps, that are layered with meanings and feelings, Patrick says.

— Patrick Coué, Artblog

“Hasteem: We Are Here” BBC Persia Interview

OCTOBER 2, 2021

“BBC Persia correspondent visits the gallery to view Hasteem: We are Here and interview a member of the Collective for Black Iranians.”

— BBC Persia

A cartoon drawing of a purple pomegranate with a golden chain holding Chinese characters. It's right eye is close and depicted with Arabic lettering, and its mouth is slightly open, showing its teeth, one of them being gold.

“In The Contest of the Fruits, the art collective Slavs and Tatars investigates language, politics, religion, humor, resilience, and resistance in a pluralistic world. The Contest of the Fruits was created in collaboration with Slavs and Tatars, Guangtian Ha, Haverford’s Hurford Center for the Arts and Humanities, CAIR Philly, and Twelve Gates Arts and is supported by the Pew Center for Arts & Heritage.”

— Haverford College, Hyperallergic

“FS Investments founder/CEO Michael Forman and his wife, Jennifer Rice, launched Art Works, a partnership between their Forman Arts Initiative, the Philadelphia Foundation and Drexel University, to award $3 million in grants for community-based organizations and emerging artists, primarily those of color and from other underrepresented communities.”

— Jessica Blatt Press, The Philadelphia Citizen

A white canvas on a white wall with the word "Exit" portrayed with red yarn, the yarn detailed around the word and falling off the canvas onto the floor
A water-color painting of a grid of diamonds in various blue/green shades

“Drexel University’s Leonard Pearlstein Gallery will re-open on Friday, April 2, 2021 after COVID-19 its doors. The gallery will open with a new exhibition, called Breathing Room, presented in collaboration with Twelve Gates Arts.”

— Drexel NEWS

“Naveena Vijayan interviews artist Behnaz Karjoo about her practice in the Islamic art of tazhib, or gold illumination. Karjoo shares her love for the art, her tazhib training history, and the challenges she overcame in the midst of mastering the process.”

— Naveena Vijayan, Artblog

An elaborate piece on a black canvas of golden, circular rings arranged in a triangular shape
A yellow Hamsa hand with blue, red, and white floral-like details on the palm and fingers

“Just as past tazhib artists indicated their social embeddedness through aesthetic decisions, so does the unapologetic existence of Immanence respond to this moment in time.”

— Max Dugan, Maydan

“Twelve Gates Arts, Philadelphia’s premier location for contemporary and modern art of South Asia and the Middle East, is starting out the new decade with an important and timely feature of Iranian American artist Behnaz Karjoo.”

— Emily Esten, Borad Street Review

Tazhib artwork with an elaborate, dark-blue center, with red and gold floral details inside, and gold floral details surrounding it
A photo of Aisha Khan sitting on a light-brown wooden floor; behind her an array of tiny, paper-made structures

“Through monthly exhibits, programming and community salons, Twelve Gates highlights international artists that might not otherwise find a home among Old City’s many gallery walls.”

— Aubrey Nagle, Philly Voice

“Neil reviews a solo show by the Indian-born, New York-based artist Nandini Chirimar, who uses meticulous still life drawings to commemorate her lost loved ones.”

— Neil Marcello, Artblog

An open, teal trunk containing folded, patterned scarves, the middle containing 2 gold bracelets and a green container of Rexona
A vibrant painting on 3 pieces of cardboard, consisting of mostly primary colors and purple, depicting Islamic male figures in robes, only showing their bodies, not their faces, except for one face shown in the center piece

“The multiple voices in this show come together as a finely orchestrated conversation about gender, identity, and belonging on both a personal and a political level.”

— Flora Ward, Artblog

“The list of artists represented comprises an impressive spectrum of established masters as well as cutting edge and outstanding newcomers.”

— Hughe Dillon, Philly Chit Chat

Dr. Zubair Baloch, Joe Donato, and Aisha Khan standing side-by-side in formal/gala attire

“The welcoming gallery space has worked diligently the last five years to introduce Philadelphia audiences to the art of South Asia.”

— Ericam, INLIQUID