Houshiary, Shirazeh
Shirazeh Houshiary's work explores ideas of spirituality and mysticism, drawn primarily from her Iranian background and Sufi beliefs. Houshiary has described 'Cube of Man' as 'a six-sided shape, which symbolises the vault of sky, and the cube with six faces symbolises the body or earth. The tower is the link between the earth and the sky, the marriage of the spirit and the body or that between levitation and gravity. The use of lead and gold leaf enforces the moment between light and dark. It alludes to our own nature constantly moving between the two states of lightness and heaviness.'
'Cube of Man' was originally proposed for a commission at the Orangeriestrasse in Dusseldorf, but it was never created at that site because of the costs involved. The idea was finally realised in 1992.
Isobel Johnstone
- Artwork Details: 283 x 65 x 65cm
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- Material description: lead, gold leaf and wood
- Credit line: © the artist
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- Accession number: ACC57/1995