Seers & the Seen
2024
The visual vocabulary explores the representation of the female body confronting its viewers in unexpected public and private spaces. The narration in the work positions these characters in spaces of solidarity, where they are by themselves, with a sense of Self watching over them, which is a political act and serves as a form of self-surveillance, as a system of control that monitors, analyses, classifies; thereby reflecting on both, the internal and external politics of the body. These works are a highly engineered form of fiction that question one’s political & psychological identity. The Self acts as a mimicry of real life, not in a hyper-realistic sense, but as a simulation of reality, with characters exposed to the gaze of multiple observers, both within and beyond the work.
Veera’s Self Eyes Egret’s Self in an Urban Forest (diptych), oil on canvas, 54 x 40 inches each
Light spills dramatically over Veera as an egret meets her gaze. In that moment, two selves emerge: Veera’s and the egret’s, both intertwined in a wordless dialogue, a quiet exchange of seeing and being seen.
Veera Finds a Lone Crab Leg, oil on canvas, 14 x 8 inches
Veera sits in an Urban Forest in Karachi, where migratory birds from Siberia stop by during winter. Their arrival intersects with Veera’s own work, which explores dying life around Karachi’s waters. I ask Veera to pose with a broken crab leg washed up on the beach, which I later zoom in on, capturing the convergence of nature and decay, a consequence of human presence.
Veera with a broken crab leg, digital drawing, 2024
Zoya Bathes in the Light of the Lighthouse, oil on canvas, 75 x 62 inches
A bizarre walk towards an abandoned lighthouse in Bhit Khohri, where the eerie, dissonant nature of the scene unfolds, as each step crushes brittle egg shells, remnants of shed snakeskin and the dust of dead life clings to Zoya’s feet. No human presence, yet the weight of one’s own Self follows, finally coming home with Zoya in her apartment.
Unmasking Amal’s Well-disposed Observers, oil on canvas, 62 x 49 inches
This work reflects a moment I captured of a friend in Saddar, karachi, one of the busiest and most chaotic areas of the city. In contrast to the usual hustle, she shares a quiet moment with her two dogs during their early morning walk. This scene serves as a metaphorical exploration of how the body is perceived in different contexts. The work continues to question the concept of sacred space, where the body can move freely without the presence of scrutiny.
A Shadow Stalker Visits Laila in her Garden, oil on canvas, 45 x 65 inches
This work explores the interplay between what is real and what is perceived. The composition presents a woman seated in her garden, accompanied by her dog, while her reflection watches over her. The doubling effect creates an ambiguous space where the distinction between the self and its mirrored counterpart is blurred. A critic later noted how the work subverts the traditional notion of a private garden by transforming it into a forest. This shift raises questions about the nature of the depicted space, returning to the inquiry of how bodies are seen.
Kousar Envelops Her Dog, Nebo, in a Cloak, oil on canvas, 42 x 70 inches