Paper Plates
Artist
Hamra Abbas
(Pakistani, born Kuwait, born 1976)
Date2008
MediumPaper collage
DimensionsOverall: 7 3/4 inches (19.69 cm)
Credit LinePurchase: acquired through funds provided by Catherine Glynn Benkaim and the Jean McCray Beals Trust
Object number2014.10.2
On View
Not on viewCollections
DescriptionThe Paper Plates consist of a group of five medium, shallow objects, formed through the collaging of thin strips of white paper that are molded into the shape of a plate. Each strip of paper is printed with the text “Please Get Served.” The paper is placed to for radiating star patterns drawn from historical Islamic Art. The spaces between the paper are left open to create porous objects with open work designs, like a delicate piece of lace.Exhibition HistoryEchoes: Islamic Art and Contemporary Artists, The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, MO, August 31, 2013 – April 27, 2014, no cat.
Artist Hamra Abbas frequently employs Islamic geometric designs in her work, as evident in this series of paper plates. Each plate is a collage created through the careful placement of tiny strips of paper into radiating star patterns that were then pressed in traditional leaf plate molds in Pakistan. The paper strips are printed with the repeating phrase “please get served,” creating a humorous invitation to use these fragile and porous forms as table wares. According to Abbas, “I use its literalness as a disposable commodity to create an ornate paper plate that is anything but useable.
With Green Cardamom Gallery, Hong Kong, by 2013;
Purchased from Green Cardamom Gallery by The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, MO, 2014.
Kelly Houx, “Echoes: Islamic Art and Contemporary Artists at The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art,” KC Studio (June 27, 2013), https://kcstudio.org/echoes-islamic-art-and-contemporary-artists-at-the-nelson-atkins-museum-of-art/.
Alice Thorson, “Islam’s Rich Diversity Shines,” Kansas City Star (September 15, 2013): D2.
Copyright© Hamra Abbas, Somerville, MA and Lahore, Pakistan
Information about a particular artwork or image, including provenance information,
is based upon historic information and may not be currently accurate or complete.
Research on artwork and images is an ongoing process, and the information about a
particular artwork or image may not reflect the most current information available to the Museum.
If you notice a mistake or have additional information about a particular artwork or image,
please e-mail provenance@nelson-atkins.org.
