Naz Shahrokh: The Nature of Art

(Islamic Arts Magazine, July 2012)

I first came into contact with the conceptual art of Naz Shahrokh at a group exhibition at Ghaf Gallery in Abu Dhabi. The vibrant colour, careful structure and contemplative quality of her work appeals to the senses. On a long, white gallery wall hung three rows of white boxes each containing a silver maple leaf on which was painted a desert landscape in miniature.

I was impressed by the precision of the paintings and the harmony created by the intense colour of the simple leaf shape in its pure white box. The jewel-like painting on each leaf, recalled Persian miniature painting. Naz admitted that this was a subconscious influence. She always insists that the

emphasis should lie on the use of natural recycled materials. She finds new uses for used or lost objects and recycles materials to form the basis of her installations. More