The Atkinson paid partnership
ANTIQUITA by Zahed Taj-Eddin opens at The Atkinson on Lord Street in Southport today (13th June 2026).
This new art exhibition presents a compelling body of sculptural work by Zahed, a Syrian artist, archaeologist, and sculptor, whose shabti works adorned The Atkinson last year.
Shabti figures were believed to act as magical substitutes for the deceased, performing tasks on their behalf in the afterlife. The term “shabti” translates to “answerer,” indicating their role in responding to the deceased’s needs.
Visitors to The Atkinson last year were able to discover shabtis scattered throughout the centre in a variety of poses and situations, reflecting their adaptation to modern life and their escape from servitude.
Zahed is back at The Atkinson with an impressive new exhibition, with works that challenge visitors and make them think.
He hails from Syria but has lived in London for the past 30 years.
He said: “I am very happy to have the chance to open my exhibition at The Atkinson in Southport to connect with people on the west coast of England and introduce stories from history from archaeology, from my country.
“Those stories are universal, they apply to all of us.
“The artworks will be here on display starting on Saturday (13th June 2026) and will be here for a few months until October.
“I would be honoured to be your guest, myself and my artwork, and to help to build bridges with fellow humans.”
Born in Aleppo, a city shaped by layered civilizations and recent rupture, Taj-Eddin creates works that feel at once unearthed and urgently contemporary. Through clay and bronze, he excavates memory, myth, and collective trauma, forging objects that stand between relic and witness.
Animals and mythic figures populate his symbolic theater: bulls evoke domination; sheep, the quiet compliance of the masses; alongside goats and horses, which embody defiance and resistance. In counterbalance, his female figures draw from ancient goddess traditions, honoring women as creators, healers, and custodians of continuity amid destruction.
The sculptures in ANTIQUITA are “excavations of the present”, marked by fractured textures and fire-forged surfaces, They are meditations on power, survival, and remembrance. The exhibition invites viewers to confront the ruins of our time and to imagine, within them, the possibility of resilience and renewal.
- ANTIQUITA by Zahed Taj-Eddin is at The Atkinson on Lord Street in Southport from Saturday 13th June 2026 to Saturday 10th October 2026. Admission is free.
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