Art After Hours with Abdulrahman Naanseh

Enjoy lively conversation and explore contemporary art, while enjoying craft cocktails, wine, and bar snacks. Meet the first artist-in-residence at Tephra ICA, Abdulrahman Naanseh, and explore his work and process as the gallery space is serving as an active studio during this time.

This event is free and open to the public, and generously supported by Reston Community Center.

About Abdulrahman Naanseh

Abdulrahman Naanseh is a Syrian artist whose work reimagines Arabic calligraphy as a deeply personal and politically conscious visual language. Rooted in classical traditions passed down by his father, Naanseh’s evolving practice bridges the literary, linguistic, and visual, interrogating the complex relationships between religion and politics in his native Syria. Drawing from ancient and modern Arabic poetry, phonetic analysis, and lived experience, he explores how the written word can embody cultural resistance and personal reflection.

Naanseh’s work has been exhibited internationally, including solo exhibitions in Syria and Germany and recent shows at George Mason University, where he served as a 2022 Artist-in-Residence and continues to teach Drawing and Arabic Calligraphy. As an Artist Protection Fund alumnus, Naanseh is part of a global network supporting artists at risk, using his practice to preserve cultural heritage and amplify voices from regions in turmoil. His artwork is held in private and institutional collections, including the Oriental Museum at Durham University in the United Kingdom and Otto-Schäfer-Museum in Schweinfurt, Germany.

The gallery entrance is located on St. Francis St. between Market St. and Town Square St. Parking is free at Reston Town Center garages after 5pm. The gallery is accessible from the Metro Silver Line Reston Town Center station.

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Host or Publisher Tephra Institute of Contemporary Art