Jad Dahshan

Jad was born and raised in Amman before moving to Chicago to study Chemistry and Art History. Disillusioned with dreams of being a chemist, he joined a student circus troupe and began dabbling in performance and video work. His practice currently lies somewhere between drawing and tapestry-making as it probes the nodes between myth, folktale, religion, and out-of-body experience. His current project is inspired by Circassian embroidery motifs and their spiritual roots; Islamic prayer rugs; representations of apocalypse and hellfire in children’s media; and the works of various abstract artists such as Agnes Pelton and Hilma af Klint.