Faig Ahmed (Azerbaijan). Hal, 2016. Handmade woolen carpet, 107 x 64 x 16 in. 2 in an edition of 3. Courtesy of the Rodef Family Collection, San Diego, CA.
May 4 – July 28, 2024
Located on the first floor of The Baker Museum
Tradition Interrupted explores how artists weave contemporary ideas with traditional art and craft to create thought-provoking hybrid images and objects that have caught the world’s attention. The 12 artists in this show — and their traditions — hail from every corner of the globe. From rugs and mosaics to metalwork and ceramics, they merge age-old art and craft customs with innovative techniques that interrupt tradition while collaborating with the past.
The artists featured in Tradition Interrupted have lived their lives steeped in the traditions of their ancestors, and their connections to cultural customs, imagery and materials are complex. Some have shared the trepidation they felt when they conceptualized and created their art, but in the process of unraveling tradition, these artists are embracing it and bringing it forward. Ancestral memories and political history — at risk of being forgotten in our fast-paced, digital world — take center stage. The exhibition features work by Anila Quayyum Agha, Faig Ahmed, Camille Eskell, Mounir Fatmi, Ana Gómez, Shirin Hosseinvand, Dinh Q. Lê, Steven Young Lee, Jaydan Moore, Ramekon O’Arwisters, Jason Seife and Masami Teraoka.
Visit the Exhibition
Reserve your museum tickets online.
Museum Admission
Selected Works
Anila Quayyum Agha (Pakistan). Teardrop (After Robert Irwin), 2016. Polished stainless steel with mirror finish, halogen lighting. 2 in an edition of 8. 46 x 46 in. Courtesy of Talley Dunn Gallery, Dallas, TX.
Installation view of Tradition Interrupted. Courtesy Artis—Naples, The Baker Museum. Photo: RoseBudz Productions
Mounir Fatmi (Morocco). Maximum Sensation, 2016. Skateboards, prayer rugs. 90 x 192 x 12 in.
Installation view of Tradition Interrupted. Courtesy Artis—Naples, The Baker Museum. Photo: RoseBudz Productions
Ana Gómez (Mexico). Talavera Kit from the Disposable series, 2010. Handpainted porcelain, dimensions variable.
Installation view of Tradition Interrupted. Courtesy Artis—Naples, The Baker Museum. Photo: RoseBudz Productions
Dinh Q. Lê (Vietnam). Portrait of the Palace, 2017. C-print, linen tape, 63 x 42 in. Courtesy of Shoshana Wayne Gallery, Santa Monica, CA.
Installation view of Tradition Interrupted. Courtesy Artis—Naples, The Baker Museum. Photo: RoseBudz Productions
Steven Young Lee (United States). Gourd Vases with Lotus Pattern, 2015. Porcelain ceramic, white slip, glaze, 16 x 8 x 20 in. Courtesy of Duane Reed Gallery, St. Louis, MO.
Ramekon O'Arwisters (United States). Mending #34, 2018. Fabric and ceramic shards, 14 x 11 x 10 in. Courtesy of Patricia Sweetow Gallery, San Francisco, CA.
Shirin Hosseinvand (Iran). Star Cluster at Night, 2019. Persian mirror mosaic, 18 x 9 x 9 in.
Associated Events
Tradition Interrupted is organized by Bedford Gallery at the Lesher Center for the Arts, Walnut Creek, California, and curated by Carrie Lederer. The presentation of this exhibition at Artis—Naples, The Baker Museum is curated by Courtney McNeil, museum director and chief curator.