HAJRA MEEKS “I really enjoyed Hajra's lecture and art; she's an interesting young woman,” was the sentiment repeated by many in attendance at the Mariposa County Arts Council’s Mughal and Persian Portraiture exhibit. The gallery was filled to capacity with many guests standing for the lecture by Hajra Meeks, lecturer, international history at University of California Merced.

The art exhibit includes placards that are meant as an educational part of the exhibit. Some relate the artist’s work to its historical inspirational such as: “The original illustration of the fictional Mughal princess Rheem is inspired by the pen and ink style of Rene Bull and Thomas Mackenzie. Both Gold Age illustrators created stunning paintings of Islamic peoples and lands for children’s books in the early 20th century. Rheem’s borrowing from Persian and Mughal styles of the late 1500s and early 1600s is also apparent, with the painting aiming for the same delicacy, detailed drawing, and romantic opulence of those periods.”

The exhibit will be on display through Nov. 24. This program is funded in part by the California Arts Council, a state agency, and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.

Contact the Mariposa County Arts Council at 966-3155 for additional information. The gallery is open Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.