Important Notice

One of Bangladesh’s foremost contemporary artists, Tayeba Begum Lipi astutely incorporates multiple mediums to comment on the politics of gender and female identity and representation. She is best known for her sculptural works that recreate everyday objects associated with women and their daily lives through an unlikely and provocative choice of materials such as metal and safety pins. The present lot is fashioned as a handbag or purse—a... One of Bangladesh’s foremost contemporary artists, Tayeba Begum Lipi astutely incorporates multiple mediums to comment on the politics of gender and female identity and representation. She is best known for her sculptural works that recreate everyday objects associated with women and their daily lives through an unlikely and provocative choice of materials such as metal and safety pins. The present lot is fashioned as a handbag or purse—a ubiquitous and necessary accessory in women’s wardrobes— made out of gleaming stainless steel and razor blades to suggest notions of violence, and of armour and steely confrontation. A note on the artist on the Guggenheim website states, “Inspired by the strong women of her childhood, Lipi’s work questions the representation of women’s bodies and the history of their social roles, particularly in Bangladesh, where historical and religious expectations continue to determine what is permissible.” (Tayeba Begum Lipi, The Guggenheim, online)

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