Shahzia Sikander

Exhibited by Sean Kelly

Material glass mosaic with patinated brass frame

Dimensions 213 × 154 × 5 cm

Place of Creation Germany

Price Price Upon Inquiry

Status Vetted

About the Work

Shahzia Sikander (b. Lahore Pakistan, lives in New York) is one of the foremost artists of her generation who has been recognized for her ability to animate South Asian visual histories through a contemporary perspective. Many of Sikander’s mosaics are produced by Mayer of Munich, a renowned stained glass studio in Germany with a legacy spanning 5 generations. In The Hour Glass, the artist returns to a motif she conceived in the early 90s while a student at the Rhode Island School of Design.

These floating figures appear with root-like forms instead of arms and legs and embody what Sikander calls “Migrant Love,” a term she uses to describe the central protagonists in her work. Rendered in mosaic, these figures hold multiple meanings, often affirming how women, deeply rooted in their identities and cultural heritage, cannot be easily uprooted or silenced. The lotus, another recurring motif in Sikander’s work, is also evident as a form that can signify humility, spiritual awakening, and love across many cultures.

Show moreless