Thursday 27th April 2017, 5.45pm
MBI Al Jaber Building, London Middle East Institute, SOAS

Making A Mark: A History Of The Middle East Through Postage Stamps

Matthew Corbin Bishop: Artist and Writer.

Why do monuments and men make it onto postage stamps?
Matthew Corbin Bishop discusses his stamp painting project ‘The Making of the Modern World’ and how it represents the most impor-tant periods in modern Middle Eastern history; from colonialization to independence, to conservation amid modernisation.

His work stems from a keen interest in the modern history of the Middle East. Using history books, national archives and philatelic collections, he creates paintings that comment on the evolution of geopolitics and international relations during the Ottoman and European Colonial era.

The works from his series of ‘stamp paintings’ are a unique visual commentary on contemporary international relations as shaped by their historic past. Meticulously created by enlarging colonial era postage stamps (1867-1971) to seven times their size, he uses a combination of ink transfer, oil paint, and beeswax on canvas, transporting them from the colonial past to the present.

You can download a pdf flyer for this lecture.

A full schedule of forthcoming lectures is available here.

In order to reserve a seat for the lecture, please email [email protected] as seating is limited.

Please note that the views expressed by the speakers in this lecture series should not be interpreted as views held by the MBI Al Jaber Foundation.