Batoul S'himi

Paris, Palais de Tokyo, La Triennale: Intense Proximite, 2012
London, Rose Issa Projects, Re- Orientations II, 2012

Condition: This work is in very good condition. There are paint losses, scratches, dents and usage marks, all in keeping with the artist's chosen medium and working process. Colour: The colours in the catalogue illustration are very accurate; although, the yellow tends towards a mustard yellow in the original work.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

World Under Pressure is a fascinating meditation on the social and political aspects of the experience of femininity in the 21st century Morocco, created by one of the country’s leading female artists. Batoul S'himi has become renowned for her exquisitely carved editions of gas canisters and  pressure cookers: the current work features an eclectic combination of both. Whilst the vividly coloured gas cans provide a larger surface area onto which S'himi carves an outline of the continents of the world, allowing the empty space to attain as great an importance as the area around it, it is ironically the pressure cookers that truly symbolise the anxieties experienced by a modern woman in the country today. In S'himi’s talented hands this frequently overlooked domestic object is elevated to the status of a poignant and emotive artwork, one imbued with a moving sense of the challenges women face in a modern world that continues to develop with unpredictable rapidity.