Seattle,
WA—The Henry Art Gallery at the University of Washington is pleased to present
Be Flat, a major solo exhibition by pioneering artist Tala Madani (b. 1981,
Tehran, Iran). This comprehensive show features newly commissioned and recent
works that expand Madani’s exploration of how symbols, language, and
mark-making affect power dynamics and individual agency.
Known
for paintings and installations that reflect life's complexities and contradictions,
the artist often depicts human figures at their most vulnerable, violent, and
perplexed, blending ribald humor with dead-serious critical insight. Her
characters, along with the detailed cinematic spaces and architectures they
inhabit, evoke a haunting sensation as if they have emerged from the
unconscious realm of dreams and fantasies. Madani’s skill with the medium of
paint allows her to play games with the idea of painting itself. Her brush is
as quick as her cutting wit, and the facility of her hand belies the vast
knowledge that is embedded in every stroke. Ultimately, Madani’s work is that
of a storyteller, shining a light (however murky) on our assumptions of gender,
narrative logic, ideology, and much in between.
At
the Henry, Madani takes the next step in her practice, deepening her
explorations through new suites of blackboard paintings and film strips, along
with a selection of animations presented in intimate architectural structures.
The exhibition also introduces a new series of satirical depictions of father
figures engaged in sports-related activities—domains typically linked to male
dominance and strength, but here expressed with naked absurdity and
vulnerability. Through her signature style of humor and critique, Madani
challenges conventional notions of masculinity and power, revealing the
contradictions embedded in familial and social relationships.
Be
flat invites visitors to a multi-sensory experience, encountering and
re-encountering Madani’s fantastical characters and the uncanny aspects of her
imagery while questioning the artifice inherent in presentation.
ARTIST
BIO
Tala
Madani creates images that explore the complexity and contradiction of
contemporary life. She skewers stereotypes in sharply satirical paintings that
evoke clashes of culture: men and women, the rational and the absurd, Western
and non-Western. Madani’s work draws on a diverse array of influences, from
Renaissance paintings to the Watchmen graphic novels. Her paintings demonstrate
keen attention to how light and paint interact, effectively exploring and
experimenting with these materials. Her evolving career spans sketches, cartoon-like
paintings, short animations, and large-scale paintings. Madani exhibits solo
and in group exhibitions at museums worldwide, including The Museum of
Contemporary Art, Los Angeles (2023); Start Museum, Shanghai (2020); Mori Art
Museum, Tokyo (2019); Secession, Vienna (2019); La Panacée, Montpellier, France
(2017); and many more. She participated in the 16th Istanbul Biennial, the
Whitney Biennial (2017), and Made in L.A. at the Hammer Museum (2014). Madani
lives and works in Los Angeles.
Tala Madani: Be flat is organized by Shamim M. Momin, Director of Curatorial Affairs. Lead sponsorship is provided by a gift from the Friday Foundation in honor of Richard E. Lang and Jane Lang Davis. Media sponsorship: KUOW.
Thank you to our annual sponsor ArtsFund.