The Turkish-Jordanian modernist Fahrelnissa Zeid is the subject of a new solo exhibition titled "Immersion" at Dirimart London, curated by art historian Adila Laïdi-Hanieh. This marks the artist's first gallery solo show in the United Kingdom this century, featuring several works from her estate that have never been publicly exhibited. The selection spans various periods of her career, highlighting her transition from monumental geometric abstractions to her late-career expressionist portraits.
This exhibition is a significant moment for the legacy of Zeid, who was a pioneer of the Turkish avant-garde and the first woman to have a solo show at London's ICA in 1954. By showcasing previously unseen works and focusing on the "immersive" nature of her practice, the show builds upon the momentum of her 2017 Tate Modern retrospective. It reflects a growing institutional and market effort to re-evaluate non-Western modernists and correct historical narratives often clouded by sexism and orientalism.