Nothing to Declare

Maliheh Afnan

2007 · Mixed media and gauze on paper · Islamic Art

"Nothing to Declare" reflects Afnan’s experience moving across national borders: she is a native Palestinian, brought up in Lebanon, and now working in London. The gauze, which forms the shape of a suitcase, is symbolic of this journey. Not only does it render the object as an X-ray would at an airport detector, but also it speaks to the long tradition of Coptic and early Islamic textiles. The blunt title, written at the lower left, adds to the piece’s complexity. Almost obstructed by the gauze, it simultaneously draws attention to and negates the use of language as a visual and semantic element.

Artist

Maliheh Afnan

Date

2007

Medium

Mixed media and gauze on paper

Department

Islamic Art

Credit line

Purchase, 2011 NoRuz at The Met Benefit, 2013