Author Description

To coincide with the first major solo exhibition in the UK by Lebanese artist Rayyane Tabet (b. 1983), Parasol unit foundation for contemporary art has produced a publication featuring full-page colour reproductions of the exhibited works.Rayyane Tabet's works present fleeting moments in time and place, offering alternative perceptions or paradoxical views of political and personal events in an historical timeline presented here within the parameters of sculpture and found objects.Tabet explores the relationship between past and present, memory and reality. Like an archaeologist, he unearths hidden narratives in experiences and materials whose existence and content give rich meaning to his sculptural installations.His creative process often begins with a chance 'encounter' from which a story unfolds. For Tabet, stories have layered dimensions that go beyond the purely factual. Often the surreal coincidence of an encounter will set off an exploration of personal memories and the collective experience.This publication features eight works from the past 13 years of his practice, which are each accompanied by a statement from the artist. It additionally includes insightful essays by Ryan Inouye; curator at Sharjah Art Foundation; Farah Nayeri, a culture writer based in London who writes for The New York Times.; and a foreword by Ziba Ardalan, Founder, Artistic and Executive Director of Parasol unit.Published on the occasion of the exhibition, Rayyane Tabet: Encounters at Parasol unit foundation for contemporary art, London (29 September - 14 December 2019).