Artwork Description
Negar Tahsili – From the series titled “The Marvels of Creatures and Miraculous Aspects of Things”
Dimensions: 1.2 x 1.2 x 0.8′
Year: 2020
Media: dried creatures
Inspired by one of the most cherished books of science in the Islamic world, Negar Tahsili’s Marvels of Creatures and Miraculous Aspects of Things celebrates the elegance of nature’s tiniest elements. Written by Zakariya ibn Muhammad al-Qazwini (circa1203–83), the source text explores the supraterrestrial, the terrestrial, and the overarching impact of human activities on climatic alterations on both a regional and planetary scale. Peppered with anecdotes, myths, parables, and rhythmic prose, Qazwini’s text–like Tahsili’s work– sheds light on almost-magical, yet often overlooked productions of nature such as a moth poised on a fragile snail shell.