Bookish Intimacies is an exhibition of artist books and related works that explore intimacy and
the desire to express it in today’s global relationships. The artists in this exhibition capitalize on
references to the book, pushing past the page’s edge to create other works that examine
related notions such as epic tales, text, language, illustration and narrative.
The works are diverse in their approach to the intimate: from manuscript pages transformed
into a series of metaphorical portals through which the infinite might be accessed, to a
painstakingly detailed rendering of an imaginary urban skyline populated by architectural styles
from around the world. From an autobiography illustrated with details of antique furniture and
quirky traditional Pakistani toys passed on from previous generations, to a letterpress edition
chronicling an extended visit to Palestine illustrated with texts and white-on-white images that
reflect the poignancy of everyday life there.
While two of the artists in Bookish Intimacies are local to the Bay Area, others dispatch their
impressions on the notion of the intimate from as far as Lahore, Detroit and Cairo. The resulting
exhibit includes prints, collages, drawings and paintings, most presented in the form of artist
books, suggesting that in this time of frequent negation of the printed page, books remain
uniquely poised as the timeless purveyor of history, beauty and personal intimacy.
Artists: Anna Boghiguian, Kevin Chen, Ala Ebtekar, Toby Millman, Mohsin Shafi, Saamia Vine
Curated by Kathy Zarur and Lori Shantzis
a.Muse Gallery
September 24 - October 25, 2014
the desire to express it in today’s global relationships. The artists in this exhibition capitalize on
references to the book, pushing past the page’s edge to create other works that examine
related notions such as epic tales, text, language, illustration and narrative.
The works are diverse in their approach to the intimate: from manuscript pages transformed
into a series of metaphorical portals through which the infinite might be accessed, to a
painstakingly detailed rendering of an imaginary urban skyline populated by architectural styles
from around the world. From an autobiography illustrated with details of antique furniture and
quirky traditional Pakistani toys passed on from previous generations, to a letterpress edition
chronicling an extended visit to Palestine illustrated with texts and white-on-white images that
reflect the poignancy of everyday life there.
While two of the artists in Bookish Intimacies are local to the Bay Area, others dispatch their
impressions on the notion of the intimate from as far as Lahore, Detroit and Cairo. The resulting
exhibit includes prints, collages, drawings and paintings, most presented in the form of artist
books, suggesting that in this time of frequent negation of the printed page, books remain
uniquely poised as the timeless purveyor of history, beauty and personal intimacy.
Artists: Anna Boghiguian, Kevin Chen, Ala Ebtekar, Toby Millman, Mohsin Shafi, Saamia Vine
Curated by Kathy Zarur and Lori Shantzis
a.Muse Gallery
September 24 - October 25, 2014