Kuwait-born Pakistani artist Hamra Abbas draws together unique combinations of painting, sculpture, sound, photography, video, writing and installation in her work, appropriating and transforming culturally loaded imagery and iconography to expose them to broader readings. She works at both miniature and monumental scales with super-realistic and abstract forms, and culls imagery from historical masterpieces as well as contemporary popular culture.
This publication attempts to capture the range of Abbas’s practice, mirroring her use of a variety of media in the many voices that write about her works. Eight curators/academics each focus on a particular work by Abbas, taking a detailed look at a particular aspect of her practice. In addition, curator Sharmini Pereira interviews Abbas about her work and approach. With biography, selected bibliography and list of works spanning 2001-2009.