Taking Shape: Abstraction from the Arab World, 1950s–1980s: Mohamed Melehi at Grey Art Gallery, NYU New York

Taking Shape: Abstraction from the Arab World, 1950s-1980s explores mid-20th-century abstract art from North Africa, West Asia, and the Arab diaspora-a vast geographic expanse that encompasses diverse cultural, ethnic, linguistic, and religious backgrounds. Comprising nearly 90 works by artists from countries including Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine, Qatar, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the exhibition is drawn from the collection of the Barjeel Art Foundation based in Sharjah, UAE. The paintings, sculpture, drawings, and prints on view here reflect the wide range of nonfigurative art practices that flourished in the Arab world over the course of four decades.