Asma Bahmim works with handmade paper, natural pigments, and organic materials to explore and revive the art of Islamic miniature painting. She studied at the King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah, first receiving a bachelor’s in art education and then a master’s in drawing and painting. Having obtained her PhD from the University of Jeddah, Bahmim views pedagogical methods as a foundation of her practice. Her deep grounding in historical research and use of references allows Bahmim to draw from contemporary situations to retell and compositionally reconfigure classical tales from old manuscripts by augmenting traditional miniature forms. A faculty member of the fine arts department at King Abdulaziz University, she is also a researcher in the philosophy of children’s art and geospatial art.

The nine selected works on display, all from 2022, feature animals and borrow from ancient fables to address the current state of the world. From the golden-winged fox in Neeran the Alopecia and Red the Fox to the glimmering-feathered falcon and magpies in Strong Wings and Magpie Tawaf or the masked human-headed lioness in By the Moon Pond, these works combine gouache, gold leaf, gum arabic, banana leaves, and natural dyes to probe and invert well-known images from children’s books, folktales, and the imagery of Islamic manuscripts into moral compasses for the present day. By combining fiction and nonfiction, the familiar and the unknown, Bahmim points toward stories that are recognizable and accessible while offering room for deeper interpretation, examination, and inquiry. The tiger protects the cornfields; the sharp-sighted, quick-witted peregrine falcon guards the horizon; and a chorus of beasts debate and reflect in the sparkling mirror of the pond. Sometimes figures from the world of pop culture merge with the animals, adding contemporary voices to the messages that they convey. American singer and songwriter Ariana Grande is recognizable in By the Moon Pond, wearing the rabbit mask from her Dangerous Woman (2016) album cover, while shown with a lionlike body. Twiggy, the British fashion icon of the 1960s, becomes a delicate bird in Magpie Tawaf. In this fantasy world, animals become the codes and models for a future through forms appropriated from an ancient heritage.