Zarah Hussain: Breath on view at PEM December 19, 2020 through June 20, 2021
SALEM, MA — This December, the Peabody Essex Museum (PEM) explores the universal sanctity of breath through a series of commissioned paintings, accompanied with animation and soundscape, by British artist Zarah Hussain. Moving through inhalations and exhalations, as well as the silent spaces in between, Hussain’s work — produced in London while the artist was under COVID-19 lockdown — utilizes the universal principles of geometry to guide us into moments of deep contemplation and stillness. Mining her own reflections and experiences, Hussain’s work was also informed by interviews with local community members, including a respiratory therapist and a pregnant woman, who have lived through the physical trauma of losing their breath or its transformative healing power. Zarah Hussain: Breath is on view at PEM from December 19, 2020 through June 20, 2021.
SPIRITUAL TRANSFORMATION
Spiritual traditions around the world have long used breath as a tool for transformation and awakening. The perfect breath is about five-and-a-half seconds in and five-and-a-half out, says Hussain. Feeling isolated during quarantine, Hussain picked back up a body of work titled Inhale and Exhale that she had made after a surgery to correct her own breathing. The artist, who sees things mathematically, was able to turn this equation of breath into a sort of holy geometry that both pays tribute to sacred Islamic art. “These paintings were a visual interpretation of what it would look like to breathe in and to breathe out,” says Hussain. “It's only when something like this disease comes along that you realize how fundamental, essential, and powerful the simple act of breathing is.”
“Hussain’s work lies at the intersection of science and spirituality and melds ancient traditions of meditation and breathwork with contemporary technology” says Siddhartha V. Shah, PEM’s Director of Education and Civic Engagement and Curator of South Asian Art. “We hope visitors will accept this exhibition’s invitation to slow down and activate a deeper awareness of, and connection with, breath.”
The exhibition is intimate in scale and immersive in nature. It features an evocative animation and soundscape that uses the same in and out breath count as the paintings and encourages visitors to follow along. “We live in a world where we are constantly on,” says Hussain. “There is such a benefit to just slowing down and being quiet. Taking time and focus to look inwards, to sit and breathe quietly, to meditate, to contemplate. There's a real power in reclaiming time for yourself.”
EXHIBITION PROGRAMMING
Conversation with Zarah Hussain | Thursday, November 12 @ 4 pm
Join Zarah Hussain and Curator Siddhartha Shah for GenPEM Artists from Home Virtual Q&A with Zarah Hussain. The event is free and open to the public. The conversation is introduced by Trevor Smith, Associate Director – Multisensory Experience, Curator of the Present Tense, and Kerry Schneider, GenPEM and Development Communications Officer. $20 suggested donation. To register, visit: pem.org/zarah.
Connect & Create: Zarah Hussain Virtual Workshop | Thursday, December 3 @ 4 pm
Join a PEM educator Andrea Macri in real-time from the comfort of your home for the opportunity to explore something new, be creative and make art! First, harness your breath, and learn about the upcoming exhibition Zarah Hussain: Breath with Siddhartha V. Shah, Director of Education and Civic Engagement and Curator of Indian and South Asian Art. Then explore color theory and create your own oil pastel with materials provided to you by PEM. Registration is time sensitive and limited. Mailing address required upon registration to receive your materials. Recommended for ages 12 and up. Members and teens $10 | Nonmembers $20.
Alive with Air | Sunday, December 20 @ 9 am
Join PEM for a special yoga program to transform and awaken through breath. This restorative class with instructors from The Salty Buddha Yoga Studio in Salem will help welcome the winter solstice and release the energy of 2020. After class, explore Zarah Hussain’s work inside PEM’s intimate Jurrien Timmer Gallery. Special members-only perk: free registration for the livestream in-person tickets are limited. Please bring your own mat. Masks are required at all times. In-Person Drop-In: $15 | Livestream Drop-In: $5, free for members.
PROTECTING HEALTH AND SAFELY
The health and safety of PEM’s staff and visitors is our highest priority. PEM has increased its safety protocols, including the frequency and intensity of its sanitation and disinfection efforts across the museum. Face coverings are to be worn at all times. To learn more, visit pem.org/safety.
PUBLICITY IMAGES
High-resolution images are available upon request.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Share your impressions with us on social media using #ZarahHussain
IMAGE CREDIT
Zarah Hussain, Air I, 2020. Acrylic on cotton paper. Photo by Zarah Hussain.
EXHIBITION CREDIT
Zarah Hussain: Breath is organized by the Peabody Essex Museum. Jurrien Timmer, Carolyn and Peter S. Lynch and The Lynch Foundation, Jennifer and Andrew Borggaard, James B. and Mary Lou Hawkes, Kate and Ford O'Neil, and Henry and Callie Brauer provided generous support. We also recognize the generosity of the East India Marine Associates of the Peabody Essex Museum.
ABOUT THE PEABODY ESSEX MUSEUM
Over the last 20 years, the Peabody Essex Museum (PEM) has distinguished itself as one of the fastest-growing art museums in North America. Founded in 1799, it is also the country’s oldest continuously operating museum. At its heart is a mission to enrich and transform people's lives by broadening their perspectives, attitudes and knowledge of themselves and the wider world. PEM celebrates outstanding artistic and cultural creativity through exhibitions, programming and special events that emphasize cross-cultural connections, integrate past and present and underscore the vital importance of creative expression. The museum's collection is among the finest of its kind boasting superlative works from around the globe and across time — including American art and architecture, Asian export art, photography, maritime art and history, Native American, Oceanic, and African art, as well as one of the nation’s most important museum-based collections of rare books and manuscripts. PEM's campus offers a varied and unique visitor experience with hands-on creativity zones, interactive opportunities and performance spaces. Twenty-two noted historic structures grace PEM’s campus, including Yin Yu Tang, a 200-year-old Chinese house that is the only example of Chinese domestic architecture on display in the United States. HOURS: Open Thursdays through Sundays, 10 am–5 pm. Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. ADMISSION: Adults $20; seniors $18; students $12. Additional admission to Yin Yu Tang: $6 (plus museum admission). Members, youth 16 and under and residents of Salem enjoy free general admission and free admission to Yin Yu Tang. INFO: Call 866-745-1876 or visit pem.org.
MEDIA CONTACTS
Whitney Van Dyke | Director of Communications | whitney_vandyke@pem.org | 978-542-1828
Amelia Kantrovitz | Exhibition Publicist | amelia_kantrovitz@pem.org | 617-794-4964