Seher Shah

Seher Shah’s works integrate principles of architectural modernism and an artistic sensibility, reflecting her academic background in Fine Arts and Architecture. Shah’s largely monochromatic drawings, prints and photographs reveal a sense of play with the block-like, linear forms of Brutalist architecture, a movement that emerged from modernism and flourished around the world from the 1950s through the 1970s.

In her “Object Anxiety” (2011) and “Radiant Lines” (2012) series, Shah deconstructs the authoritarian qualities of Brutalism by breaking down structures into their constituent parts. In this way, once-oppressive forms become delicate abstractions. Beyond her interest in representing and interpreting architectural modernism, Shah’s artistic practice integrates different architectural, historical and personal iconographies; for example, the series “Paper to Monument” (2010) combines official histories with her personal recollections of the various cities and cultures in which she has lived.

About Artists on Art

Contemporary artists lead informal, topical talks within the museum’s galleries on select Friday nights at 6:15 p.m.
In conversation withAssistant Curator Beth Citron, speakers from New York and international contemporary art scenes interact with and informally discuss the rich artistic traditions of the Himalayas and surrounding regions in relation to their own practices and processes.
Please meet at the base of the Spiral Staircase at 6:15 for all tours.
Admission to the museum’s galleries is free every Friday from 6:00 to 10:00 p.m.