Andisheh Avini

The work of this Iranian-American artist explores the ties of memory that bind his birthplace (New York) to his Persian heritage. He employs traditional marquetry (fabricated for the artist by a craftsman in Iran) and such as mother-of-pearl, glass, agate and quartz to form objects and wall-hung panels that range from representational to abstract. Sumptuous at times as a Louis Vuitton handbag or a Tiffany lamp, Avini could be accused of indulging in a kind of orientalism, but if so, he complicates the issue by virtue of who he is and his cultural background.