Madani’s mad men

Tala Madani's paintings are themed to hover comically over a lot of dangerous buttons. Madani is a female painter - Iranian born, but educated in the USA - whose subjects have often been what she calls 'stereotypically Middle Eastern men'. She's mischievous, and her male characters (whether stereotypical or not) invariably appear ludicrous as she clowns around with them, mixing up gender politics, nationalism and religion into potent satires about male folly. Whether universal truths about masculine psychology, a personal revenge on men who have incurred the artist's displeasure, or just plain wrong, Madani's paintings look fun - such as Cherries, 2008, above - zingingly painted cartoon comedies.