By Julia Olson
Assistant Editor
The Skirball Museum and ish partnered to present an intergenerational art experience for the Cincinnati community Sunday, January 21st. Participants gathered together in Mayerson Hall at the Skirball Museum to create art inspired by the symbolism and design of Iranian-Persian rug patterns. Sharareh Khosravan, an Iranian artist and one of the creators featured in the current exhibit “Motherhood Essence and the Feminine Divine: Cincinnati and Israeli Artists Interpret The Female Experience” at the Skirball led the experience. The exhibit is a joint project between The Skirball Museum and ish. Khosravan introduced the project by discussing the collaborative nature of Persian rug making. The act of rug weaning is communal, Khosravan explained. “The process is all about art and sharing and collaboration.” Weavers, often groups of women, work together to create the rugs. While they work, they develop a rhythm, singing songs and sharing stories. “The process is a meditative one,” said Khosravan. It helps the weavers create “a time of sharing, of feeling secure to share unheard stories together,” she added.
Participants work on their Persian rugs
Before the work of creating the collaborative designs began, attendees were invited to tour the exhibit. Collaboration between artists was a key aspect of “Motherhood Essence and the Feminine Divine,” with each artist creating a piece in the gallery that responded to another artist’s creation. Participants in Sunday’s event were invited to see how both Israeli and Cincinnati based artists had worked together and shared stories through each of their individual pieces. Then they were asked to bring that inspiration to their own collaborative work as they regrouped and began to design their interpretations of a Persian rug.
The final products created by each group will be hung in the ish space and available to view to anyone who visits. “Motherhood Essence and the Feminine Divine: Cincinnati and Israeli Artists Interpret The Female Experience” will be on exhibit at the Skirball Museum until Feburary 4, 2024.
