Al-Bustan and Twelve Gates Arts are thrilled to co-present the exhibition A Vision for My Father by Palestinian American artist and graphic designer Rajie Cook!
Highlighting selections from the assemblage artist/designer’s career, the exhibition is a celebration of Rajie Cook’s work, including the release of his autobiographical book published by Interlink Publishing.
Art Exhibition: February 13 – 24, 2018
Opening Reception & Artist Talk: Tuesday | February 13 | 6 – 7:30pm
Location: Twelve Gates Arts, 106 N 2nd St, Philadelphia
Book Launch & Signing: Friday | February 16 | Book Signing with Live Music by Hafez Kotain & Serge El Helou | 6 – 9:00pm
Location: Twelve Gates Arts, 106 N 2nd St, Philadelphia
About Rajie Cook
Rajie Cook (b 1930) is an internationally renown graphic designer, photographer and artist. A graduate of the Pratt Institute, he was selected in 1997 as Alumni of the year, and has served on the Pratt Advisory Board. He is a member of the American Institute of Graphic Arts. Rajie was the President of Cook and Shanosky Associates, Inc., a graphic design firm he founded in 1967. The firm produced all forms of corporate communications, including, Corporate Identity, Advertising, Signage, Annual Reports and Brochures. His graphic design and photography have been used by IBM, Container Corporation of America, Montgomery Ward, Squibb Corporation, Black & Decker, Volvo, Subaru, AT&T, New York Times, Bell Atlantic, BASF, Lenox, and a number of other major international corporations.
“In 1999, after 46 years as a graphic designer, I found time to explore this new medium, sculptural “assemblage”. The inspiration and opportunity to explore this mode of artistic expression comes at a time when my commercial career has sufficiently matured so that I can apply my skills, experiences, and a lifetime of artistic perspective to create “statements” with these assemblages.
Most of my “raw” materials come from private collections, my own photography, flea markets, and antique shops, where I spend hours searching for items that inspire use in my boxes. My process, using these “found” materials, feels to me much like theater. As in the legitimate stage, I work within a three-dimensional form to portray the comedy or tragedy of life. I create these miniature, silent, “theaters” to express my feelings about a range of subjects. The three-dimensional objects I construct, using the found and fabricated objects (my “Thespians”), are a series of “performances” that share my deepest feelings with my audience.”
Learn more about Rajie Cook as he was featured in Al-Bustan’s (DIS)PLACED Expressions of Identity in Transition project.
About Twelve Gates Arts
Twelve Gates Arts, established in 2011, is a non-profit organization based in Philadelphia. The “gates” refer to the fortified gates that walled many ancient cities such as Delhi, Lahore, Jerusalem, and Rhodes – inside which lay the heart of each city’s art and culture, and today this reference offers perspectives on history and possibilities. They also hold monthly exhibitions of contemporary and modern art by artists from countries in South Asia and the Middle East, as well as by diasporic artists from those regions. The list of artists represented comprises an impressive spectrum of established masters as well as cutting edge and outstanding newcomers. In addition to the exhibition programming, regular Salon events showcase works by artists in film, multi-media, literature and performance.
