Fahrelnissa Zeid (1901-1991) was one of the most influential Turkish female artists, known for her large-scale abstract paintings. Combining influences from Islamic, Byzantine, and Eastern art with the bold colors of the Fauvists, the geometric dissonance of the Cubists, and the precise lines of Mondrian, Zeid developed an abstract vocabulary that was a synthesis of East and West and uniquely her own. Born in Istanbul in 1901 to a family of high creativity and intellectuals, Zeid's artistic career began in the 1920s in Paris and led her to Istanbul, Berlin, and Budapest, before returning to Paris in 1946. There she participated in the Nouvelle Ecole de Paris, a movement of international artists that supported a new abstract aesthetic. In the mid-1970s, Zeid moved permanently to Amman, Jordan, where she founded the Royal Fahrelnissa Zeid Institute. She worked and taught there for the remainder of her life, while her work was widely and internationally exhibited throughout her career. This new book tracks her evolution from the early works she created in Turkey, through her involvement with the D-Group, experiments with abstract art and, ultimately, her return to representational art. It also examines the defining role she played in the interaction of artistic ideas in the 20th century through her involvement in closed groups and movements in various regions and communities. Documentary photographs of the era provide new perspective on the historical and artistic events that shaped the framework of her continuously evolving style. Featuring over 100 reproductions of Zeid's bold and colorful paintings, from her earliest geometric, calligraphic style to her most expressive portraits, the catalog highlights the depth and variety of her work. Zeid's works have recently attracted renewed attention, with prominent exhibitions at the Sharjah Biennial and the 14th Istanbul Biennial in 2015. In the context of an exhibition at Tate Modern, the book "Fahrelnissa Zeid" will be the only available book on the life and work of this pioneering artist, bringing her unique sensibility to a wider audience that deserves it.

Pages: 176, Year of Publication: 0801, Dimensions: 19.6x19.6cm