MARYAM HINA HASNAIN (LEFT HAND WINDOW) EXPLORES IDEAS OF LIMINAL SPACES AND HYBRID IDENTITIES. SHE USES TEXTILE INTERVENTION AS A MEANS OF UNRAVELING NON LINEAR HISTORICAL NARRATIVES - SPECIFICALLY THAT OF SOUTH ASIA’S FRACTURED 1947 PARTITION. CONSIDERING AN ELUSIVE SENSE OF ARRIVAL VERSUS BELONGING THIS EXHIBITION HAS CREATED A FRAMEWORK FOR HASNAIN TO EXPLORE THESE CHECKERED CYCLES FILLED WITH RIFTS AND RIDGES. THE CARPET AS AN OBJECT REPRESENTS CENTURIES OF TRADE WHICH IS OFTEN FACILITATED BY EMPIRES AND COLONIALISM. THIS IN TURN SEEMS A STARK CONTRAST AGAINST TODAYS OPPRESSIVE VISA REGIMES AND RESTRICTED GLOBAL MOBILITY. MOST IMPORTANTLY IT’S COME TO REPRESENT A VERY SPECIFIC AESTHETIC OF THE “EXOTIC” OR OTHER. YARN THAT HAS BEEN HAND DYED BY THE ARTIST IN TURMERIC EXPLORES IDEAS OF SENSORY MEMORY AND STAINING.
WITH THIS HASNAIN WEAVES LAYERED NARRATIVES WITH THE TEXTILES, DISSECTING AND PIECING BACK TOGETHER IN A SOMETIMES VIOLENT BUT ALSO PASSIVELY MEDITATIVE WAY, “A REFLECTION OF THE ERASURE THROUGH HISTORY, AND THE ENTRY AND EXIT INTO SOCIETIES WHICH IS RARELY SEAMLESS”.
VEERA RUSTOMJI (RIGHT HAND WINDOW), ALSO FROM PAKISTAN, EXPLORES THE MASCULINIE REPRESENTATION IN FILM, ART, LITERATURE AND POPULAR CULTURE SOCIETY. SINCE LIVING IN LONDON HER PRACTISE HAS PUSHED BOUNDARIES ASSOCIATED WITH MOBILITY WHILST QUESTIONING THE TYPICAL ROLE OF THE POWERFUL, PRIVILEGED MAN WHOSE BRAVERY PREVAILS THEM AS SUPERIOR. CONSIDERING THE FACADE OF TOURISM AND HOW IT CATERS TO FANFARE MASCULINITY RUSTOMJI HAS PAINTED A PORTRAIT OF A MAN POSING WITH A WILD CAT AS A TROPHY BASED ON PHOTOGRAPHS SHE DISCOVERED ON SOCIAL MEDIA. OFTEN PICTURED IN ELEPHANT AND WILD CAT “SANCTUARIES” IN THAILAND AND SOUTH AFRICA THESE DELIBERATELY STAGED TABLEAUX SHOW THE DESPERATE STRIVE FOR MEN TO TRAVEL HALFWAY ACROSS THE WORLD TO PROVE THEIR MANHOOD. A CONTEMPORARY COMMODITY THAT TARGETS THE MASCLINE PRIDE AND CATERS TO A MARKET SATURATED WITH VANITY. THE MEN WHO PAY TO HAVE THEIR PORTRAIT WITH A WILD ANIMAL, STAGED IN A HUNTER OUTFIT COMPLETE WITH RIFLE AND ELABORATE BACKDROP IS BOTH PUZZLING AND EXTREMELY HUMOROUS TO RUSTOMJI.
PAINTING DIRECTLY ONTO A BEDSHEET AND PILLOWCASES USING ACRYLIC RUSTOMJI MAKES REFERENCE TO THE DOMESTIC SPACE THAT WE OFTEN VIEW OTHER PEOPLES HOLIDAY PHOTOGRAPHS. SITTING ON HER BED WITH LAPTOP IN HAND SHE, LIKE MOST PEOPLE, FIND THEMSELVES LOST IN A VOYEURISTIC RABBIT HOLE OF FASCINATION AND CURIOUS EXPLORATION. KNOWING THAT THERE IS A STRANGE POWER-PLAY OF ROLE REVERSAL PRESENT AS THE ANIMALS ARE OFTEN SEDATED TO CONSTRUCT THESE ELABORATE PORTRAITS, RUSTOMJI CONSIDERS THE “EXTERNAL BODY (OF AN ANIMAL) NEARING DEATH, ALONGSIDE GENDER BOUNDARIES”.
INWARD - COMING IN FROM OUTSIDE EXAMINES THE IDEA OF INVITATION COLLABORATION AND INBOUND PRACTISE WHERE THERE IS AN IMPORTANCE PLACED ON CONSIDERING YOUR OWN WORK ALONGSIDE THE WORK OF OTHERS.
WE WOULD LIKE TO SAY A HUGE THANK YOU TO INVISIBLE NUMBERS AND ART LICKS FOR BEING A WONDERFUL SUPPORT AND MAKING THIS EXHIBITION HAPPEN.
HEWINGWITTARE.COM @HEWING_WITTARE
maryamhinahasnainstudio.com @MARYAMHINAHASNAINSTUDIO
VEERARUSTOMJI.COM @VEERARUSTOMJI
INVISIBLENUMBERS.CO.UK @INVISIBLENUMBERS
#INWARD #COMINGINFROMOUTSIDE #ARTLICKS #INTERDEPENDENCE
