The Veil: Visible and Invisible Spaces

The de Saisset Museum at Santa Clara University, Calif. explores the topic of the veil through a provocative exhibition of contemporary women artists. The veiling of women, men and sacred places has existed in countless cultures and religious throughout history. This exceptional exhibition features more than 30 works of art that examine the veil from various perspectives. Divided into three thematic sections - the sacred veil, the sensuous veil, and the sociopolitical veil - the shows aims to transcend popular cliches and stereotypes about the practice of veiling and to present the subject in a broader and more universal context.

Composed of works by 29 national and international artists, The Veil: Visible and Invisible Spaces addresses issues such as modesty, oppression, liberation, freedom of expression, spirituality, nature, and magic. The exhibition features work in a variety of mediums, including painting, sculpture, photography, installation, and new media.

Anita Kunz, Girls Will Be Girls, 2006

Mary Tuma, Homes for the Disembodied, 2006

Sama Alshaibi, Witness, 2006

Helen Zughaib, Abaya Lichtenstein, 2005-06

Shakuntala Kulkarni, Confinement, 2006

Eve Whitaker, Ancestral Excavations, 1999

Elizabeth Bisbing, St. Francis, 2007

Tsehai Johnson, Window, 2008

Check this video on the exhibition

All images, courtesy of  The de Saisset Museum, Santa Clara University, Calif.
The Veil is currently on view through March 11, 2011