193: Forrest Middelton, Arash Shirinbab, and Raeshma Razvi on the spiritual nature of creativity

Today on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast I have an interview with Forrest Middelton, Arash Shirinbab, and Raeshma Razvi. Middelton, a ceramic artist, and Shirinbab, a calligrapher, have been working for the past two years towards an exhibition titled “To Contain and To Serve.” Their dialogue centers on the interplay of hospitality, morality and justice in contemporary cultural and media landscapes. The objects produced during the collaboration are calligraphy-inscribed ceramic tableware and tile inspired by the Persian ‘Nishapur’ tradition. Documentary filmmaker Razvi has been shooting the collaboration for future use in a film. In the episode, the artists use the question “Is creativity inherently spiritual?” as a jumping off point to discuss the introspective nature of craft and how cross-cultural exchange can provide a solution for political discord.

An opening reception for “To Contain and To Serve” will take place Saturday October 28th from 4-6pm at the Islamic Cultural Center of Northern California in Oakland, CA. To find out more about the event visit ICCNC.org or www.containandserve.com. For more information about Forrest Middelton please visit www.flmceramics.com. For more information about Arash Shirinbab please visit www.arash-shirinbab.com. For more information about Raeshma Razvi please visit www.vimeo.com/RaeshmaRazvi.