The Orlando Museum of Art announces the acquisition of two new works, one by internationally renowned artist Shirin Neshat, and one by celebrated mid-career artist Deborah Roberts. Shirin Neshat (Iranian, b. 1957), who is acclaimed for her work exploring the complexities of gender, religion, cultural values and democracy in the Middle East, has lived in exile in New York since the Islamic revolution in Iran in 1979. She gained prominence in 1995 with her iconic series of black and white, calligraphy-overlaid photographs. Neshat’s Nida (Patriots), from The Book of Kings series (2012) is inspired by the 60,000-verse poem `Shahnameh` written in the 11th century by the Persian poet Ferdowsi, and which narrates Persian history up to the Islamic conquest of Persia in the 7th century. Shirin Neshat relates this ancient book to the Arab
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