Laila Tara H deconstructs the aesthetic framework of the Persian miniature tradition, hybridising historical painting methods with radically contemporary compositions and ideas. Her works interrogate the quiet politics of the domestic sphere and the tension that exists between the personal and public realm. Drawing from her Iranian heritage and peripatetic upbringing, her paintings manage to resonate universally.
Cooke Latham Gallery in London presents a solo exhibition of new works by the Iranian-British artist, now open and on view until 19 July 2024. Exquisite lobster claws, conjoined faces, carnations and poppies build on the visual lexicon she has developed over the past years; each repeated motif imbued with its own meaning, an alphabet of domestic comfort and claustrophobia, of luxury and death.
Sprawling in scale, comprising multiple parts and incorporating sculptural elements, Tara H’s practice challenges our traditional perception of what constitutes a work on paper. To learn more about her practice and the new show, Keshav Anand spoke with the artist.
