The collection is named after lines from Shakespeare’s Venetian tragedy Othello. The mirrors were made in traditional 18th-century Rococo style and we made it according to artist Fred Wilson’s specifications.

To create the dark reflection cast these mirrors, the back side is colored black rather than silver, and darkness was deepened with multiple layers.

In his work Wilson deliberately treats difficult subject matter often involving perceptions of race and marginalized communities in aesthetically attractive ways. For example he says of Iago’s Mirror, “I like the fact that it is beautiful yet not comforting.” The dark, mirrored surface alters viewers’ reflections of themselves, metaphorically echoing Iago’s dark soul and Othello’s themes of manipulation, distorted perceptions, and racial prejudice.

The result is an ominous portrait of an iconic villain. As Iago says in Shakespeare’s play, “I am not what I am”.