An immersive new art installation by Dobbs Ferry resident Rana Amirtahmasebi is inspired by geometry.
Opening on May 16, Continuum: Terra is set within ArtsWestchester’s bank vault. The installation uses clay and color to bring to celebrate a recently discovered geometric pattern called the aperiodic monotile.
The first true aperiodic monotile, also known as “the hat” or “einstein,” was discovered in 2022. It is a 13-sided shape that can cover a plane infinitely without repeating patterns.
Amirtahmasebi uses her installation to connect modern geometry and ancient Islamic design. Her work demonstrates how this specific mathematical form functions not just as a puzzle, but as a philosophical device to structure movement and guide the human eye.
By covering the ArtsWestchester vault’s interior and a series of clay vessels with the 13-sided shape, the artist suggests infinity within the rigid, confined architecture of a vault. The installation also recalls the Iran of her childhood by evoking the dense, non-repeating ornamental environments of Middle Eastern palaces and bazaars—effectively linking 21st-century geometry with historical Persian architectural logic.
In a moment where the “hat” is still being analyzed for its topological and symmetry properties, Amirtahmasebi’s work offers a rare look at the pattern’s aesthetic and emotional impact when scaled to an entire environment.
Continuum: Terra runs through August 2, 2026, at ArtsWestchester, 31 Mamaroneck Ave., White Plains. The gallery is open from noon to 5 p.m. on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays. On Saturday the gallery is open from noon to 6 p.m.
