Gallery Isabelle is currently home to In our Bones, a solo show by Iranian weaver and fibre artist Fariba Boroufar. This compelling showcase provides an exciting opportunity to see her intricate works that pay homage to endangered architectural traditions. Through her art, Boroufar offers a poetic reflection on cultural memory while protesting against the erasure of heritage. The exhibition will welcome all visitors until 7 December 2024.
Boroufar’s art pieces evoke elements of architecture through subtle yet powerful symbolism. for example, two slender, elongated woven structures resemble bad-girs (wind towers), a traditional desert cooling system. Another work is inspired by gaalipoush, an ancient technique of covering roofs with leaves in the northern Caspian Sea region.
Boroufar’s fascination with architecture stems from her travels to remote corners of Iran, where she discovered rare and remarkable architectural forms. These journeys deepened her appreciation for Iran’s architectural legacy: its elegance, cultural significance, and harmony with the environment. However, they also instilled a sense of melancholy as she witnessed the impact of modernisation on these historical treasures.
In Boroufar’s view, architecture once embodied sensuality and joy but has been reduced to mere functionality in the modern era. Similarly, the traditional art of weaving, once a deeply physical and communal activity, has been increasingly mechanised. By merging weaving with representations of endangered architectural forms, Boroufar’s work poignantly bridges these fading traditions.
About the artist
Fariba Boroufar (b. 1975, Tehran, Iran) received a diploma in sculpture (1994) from the Fine Arts School (Tehran) and a BA in Graphics (1996) from Al-Zahra University (Tehran). Later, she pursued her education at the Art University of Tehran, from which she graduated with an MA in Illustration in 2004.
Boroufar’s art draws heavily from the cultural and architectural traditions of her homeland, weaving memories from the sensory experiences she gained while exploring Iran’s ancient structures. Through her use of form and colour, the artist highlights the beauty of these abandoned structures, contrasting them with the sterile modernity of contemporary habitats.
Boroufar has showcased her creations in many exhibitions and art events, which include Asia NOW Art Fair (Paris, France, 2023); Istanbul Art Fair (IAF) (Turkey, 2022); A Woman Behind The Net Curtain (Shirin Gallery, Tehran, 2021); Sculpture Biennale of Tehran (Vahdat Hall, 2020); Solo Tapestry Exhibition of Discontinuity (Saless Gallery, Tehran, 2019); and Toyama Poster Biennale (National Museum of Japan, 2012), among others.
To get more information about In our Bones, please go to the official web page of the show.
In addition, you might be interested in visiting Vantage Point Sharjah 12: If I Were Another.
