ticketsMember | Make a donation

Still Garden

Afruz Amighi Iranian-American
2011
Not on view
Afruz Amighi is the inaugural recipient of the Jameel Prize for Middle Eastern contemporary art. Raised in New York by Zoroastrian and Jewish parents, Amighi's upbringing infuses her work with global awareness and a distanced view of her native country's turmoil. Like her other shadow works, "Still Garden" is created by the projection of light through a hand-cut stencil sheet of woven polyethylene (the material used to construct refugee tents). Amighi's use of vegetal and geometric patterns bridges contemporary sensibilities and artistic references from Iran, Ottoman Turkey, and Andalusia. The presence of crowns and serpents - an allusion to the story of the evil figure Zahhak in the Persian national epic, the Shahnama of Firdausi - as well as shackled birds and bouquets of flowers, presents a nuanced commentary on the current politics of the region, while the play of shadows creates a tantalizing and ethereal effect.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Still Garden
  • Artist: Afruz Amighi (Iranian, born Tehran, 1974)
  • Date: 2011
  • Geography: Made in USA
  • Medium: Pe–cap and Plexiglas
  • Dimensions: Textile: H. 121 1/2 in. (308.6 cm)
    W. 74 in. (188 cm)
    Slat: H. 75 5/8 in. (192.1 cm)
    W. 2 in. (5.1 cm)
    D. 1 in. (2.5 cm)
    Weight of textile and slat (approximately): 25 lbs (11.3 kg)
  • Classification: Textiles
  • Credit Line: Purchase, 2011 NoRuz at The Met Benefit, 2011
  • Object Number: 2011.427
  • Rights and Reproduction: © Afruz Amighi
  • Curatorial Department: Islamic Art

More Artwork

More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Fallujah 2004, Siah Armajani Iranian, Wood, paint, plexiglass, cloth, metal and copper wire
Fallujah 2004
Siah Armajani
2004
Ye 2, Azita Panahpour Iranian-American, Steel and acrylic painted wood
Ye 2
Azita Panahpour
2024
Pipes, Shiva Ahmadi Iranian-American, Watercolor, ink, and acrylic on aquaboard
Pipes
Shiva Ahmadi
2013
Abi Abi, Hadieh Shafie Iranian-American, Ink and acrylic on paper
Abi Abi
Hadieh Shafie
2013
Calligraphic Drawing 1 and 2, Untitled, Faramarz Pilaram Iranian, Ink and acrylic on paper
Calligraphic Drawing 1 and 2, Untitled
Faramarz Pilaram
dated 1979

Related Content

Publications

Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.