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I'm trained in two seemingly exclusive traditions, one Indian and Persian painting, and the other,
contemporary Western tradition. My work draws from both, as I attempt, as it attempts to
reconcile the apparent stylistic and narrative gulf between the past and the present cultures.
My paintings and drawings are built on multiple layers of fine cotton and Mylar, and sometimes
on pale surfaces of acrylic paint and collage, in which text and traditionally stylized miniature
images intertwine.
Dark-like patterns and thin horizontal and vertical lines of paint covering the entire
surface suggest prison bars. And yet, they are also boundaries for protection.
The subject matter in my paintings is often personal. The paintings, however, address
the female body, power, silence, language and vulnerability. Therefore, the subject
matter is also universal.
In my most recent paintings the female is represented in the style of Congera, "Portraiture
of the Heroine," the Naica serene and inscrutable, inviting the viewer, and yet, beyond reach.
The formal structures of the paintings extend the metaphor of organic Congera landscape
as a place of defense, survival, and escape. In which, unlike the traditional Naica, she
is no longer in romance, but rather, seen engaged in resistance to the colonizing of
the body, and later celebrating the sabotage.
By situating the female figure in a personal, as well as contemporary, cultural, and political
context, my focus remains on redefining her identity under the gaze of her female artist.
In addition to the figure, I also bring the 10 horizontal and vertical lines from the
painting onto the gallery walls, reminiscent of the decorative borders around the traditional
miniature painting. The wall, thus, becomes a page. And the narrative from the painting
continues from one page to the other.
This one and the next couple of slides, they are studies, when I was learning the techniques
of miniature painting back in Pakistan. The images have been taken from old masters' painting,
just to give you a little idea of how the female figure was represented by those artists
from different eras.
So, this particular one is from a late Mughal period. You can see how she is delicately
draped around, but still can provoke a certain kind of eroticism. Don't know the name of
the artist, but it's from a Persian era.
This one is an illustration of -- sorry, I had to check my notes -- the legend of Shirin
and Farhad. You can see that Shirin, she's just come out of a bath and is combing her
hair, while Farhad is riding to the horses, and finds her in the middle of nowhere and
falls in love with her.
The next three slides focus on ritual performance enacted by the female figure. They are all
done on multiple layers of Mylar paper that are stitched together. Each layer has been
worked upon with dots of paint and lines, and then the imagery is painted on top.
Unlike the mythical or divine women of the older paintings, here she appears quite realistic,
belonging to the world that we all live in. Her long hair that loops into a fishing pole
and the fish are metaphors for her being in charge of her own life, for better or for
worse.
Here's another one, approximately 17-by-15 inches, and there are five to six layers of
these Mylar. Each layer has been cut and painted upon, and then stitched together. Same size
from the year 2000, I think.
OK. I'm going to read a little poem, a part of the poem from a Sufi poet, whose title
actually -- the title of this series is inspired by this poem.
"I must utter what comes to my lips. Speaking the truth creates chaos. Telling a lie saves
one's cares.
I'm afraid of both these: Afraid I'm both here and there. I must utter what comes to
my lips," 17th Century Sufi poet, Bulleh Shah.
These works are a response to the events of September 11th, and the effects of those events
on individual lives. These are all done on traditional handmade paper called wasli, with
watercolor and white gouache.
Ambreen, I'm sorry to interrupt you. Can you speak right into the microphone for me? We're
having a hard time hearing you.
OK. Is it good?
Yes.
OK.
Speak into it. Yeah, that would be great.
OK. OK. So, 11-by-seven inches on paper, and from the same series, year 2000.
And here, the figure is used as a venue for the viewer to enter into the landscape. That's
a metaphor for a place of defense, survival and escape. She is no longer just a female;
rather a person who represents many faces of society. She appears in many different
roles; a victim when she dragged and lifted up by a group of birds; an oppressor when
she targets the innocent with the gun.
The background of this painting is done with small marks with tea and coffee. Thus, you
can see that clash of different versions of fanaticism resulting in the suffering of innocent.
If you're not with us, you are with the terrorists. When this sort of reality hits you, and you
think you don't belong to either, and you are walking on a tightrope -- hand marbling
on paper, handmade paper, and then watercolors with tea and coffee.
"Homeland Security" -- I think there's always this optimistic side of me, the side of the
artist that you know when you're going through the dark times, it still comes out in the
form of painting or whatever you are doing. And then, there's always the last one, which
is very hopeful. So, this was, I guess, the last one of that series, which I think was
a very optimistic painting.
The next one is a triptych. There is a deliberate effort to make them visually more poetic.
It is easy to knit the narrative with the help of some familiar elements; such as the
colors of her sweatband and the burden she is holding on her back. And the birds are
painted like warplanes. Here, they are being nurtured by her.
These are actually based on one of the old masters from the Safavid period, Sultan Muhammad,
his paintings. He was very famous for making beautiful landscapes and Persian paintings.
She's strengthened her world and no longer needs to feed the hungry birds. She can hunt
for herself. The painting is built on small dots of paint, and this is the third of the
triptych. As she turns her back and she stops nurturing the birds, the color darkens and
they ambush her.
This is installation shot of a different series, also from the year 2003, called, "What is
Past, or Passing or To Come." This can be seen in the context of the gender power struggle.
The female figure has much more resemblance to the Congera style Naica. She is seen engaged
in resistance to the vulnerability that comes along in the power of politics.
These are all done on multiple layers of Mylar paper. Here, it is much more visible because
of the way the Mylar is placed. So, each layer has been worked on with graphite, watercolors,
acrylic, and then they are stitched together. It is still very much inspired by the traditional
Naica. Here she is appearing as a seducer.
The domination question is still unresolved. This was the third one from the same wall.
OK, this is another one from the same show "What is Past, or Passing or To Come." Again,
these are also done on layers of Mylar, and with small dots. Each layer has small dots.
The landscapes, actually, the background is built with small dots. And then, the imagery
is painted on the topmost layer.
This is still the same series. I guess the power struggle never ends cleanly. This is
it...
Still the same series but a different medium, that's just handmade paper with ink and wash.
Basically, just showing the different stages of the process of emancipation.
The second one -- just two layers, both layers of handmade paper, and ink and wash. And how
much emancipation is enough? I guess that's what is questioning. She seems trapped in
the idea of being free.
OK, I'm just going to read it.
Throughout the history of miniature painting, the role of a female has been very passive.
She has been mostly represented by male artists, and thus, projects the image of a woman from
their male perspective. We have great male heroes in legends like Amir Hamza, Rustam
and Suhrab. Their adventures have been illustrated in this traditional type of painting. But
we also need as many women heroes as men to form an even and balanced society.
The next, and the last, series I call "I Need a Hero." In those, you will see the female
figure in more action, unlike the passive Naica. She's seen fighting the demons. She
is a warrior and a survivor, but not a fictionalized version of a woman. In fact, she is a character
who comes from a real person, a woman.
The series is a homage to Moktar Lamari, whose trend is no less than Amir Hamza of the old
times. Her incredible story has inspired me to make my contribution to bringing a female
hero into the history of miniature painting.
I don't know if you are familiar with her. You may have read about this woman who was
gang *** at an early age in Pakistan, at the order of a local council, as part of her
punishment for her 11-year-old brother's alleged affair with a woman of a higher caste.
So, basically, this whole series "I Need a Hero" is a response to that. Of course my
own interest in brining a female hero into this tradition, which we never saw before.
So, these are all done on a handmade paper called wasli with vegetable dyes and watercolors,
and tea and coffee. So, I'm just going to quickly flip through because...
So, Ambreen, this is watercolor?
These are all watercolor and gold leaf. Sorry. I forgot one.
When you do the layering, is there any sense of depth? Or is it just right on top of each
other?
Layering of Mylar?
Yeah.
That creates the depth, by putting...
So, you put them right on top of one another?
Well, that's the whole intention, to create that space by using only two-dimensional elements.
OK, here the demons and the dragon symbolize the inner fear and the corrupt system. She's
seen suppressed by the demons and attacked by the hungry dogs around her. No one else
is going to come and get her out but herself. Her strength is everlasting.
She appears from the mouth of the dragon with the sword in her hand. Her torn shirt is used
in strangling the dogs that attack her. On a different end, she's still engaged in fighting
the demon, whose head she stands on.
Since I'm flipping them very quickly, I have to exactly tell you what's going on.
This one is a triptych, and you may have, or you probably will see, it's in the show.
Oh, and the first one from this, from he three pieces. Here are a group of women serving
as cheerleaders in support of the one who is trapped above -- again, watercolors with
a gold leaf on wasli.
This is the second piece. This shows her being fearlessly standing in the dragon she was
trapped by. And another part of her, with her head sticking out, curiously trying to
recognize the source of the trap. She has figured out the source, and stands victoriously
on the tip of her sword.
This insecure and tiny little creature has no strength of its own and uses the shell
of a dragon to hide itself and manipulate it to victimize others. That shell of the
dragon symbolizes a system that is created and then manipulated by us.
There's some consequences to this sort of war and emancipation. Her life is not hers
anymore. She will always have to bear this burden of responsibility on her shoulders.
There is a whole world now that looks up at her in inspiration.
But, I would still end here with Kishwar Naheed, one of my favorite women rights activists,
and favorite poet from Pakistan. With her words: "No one speaks here. No one wants to
know. The words of speaking glances, the fish slipping from the hand. Doubts, fear, into
hate, the desire to see you silent billows up even from the grave. But speech is urgent
when listening is a crime. Now, I can see expressions that daunted me strike fear everywhere."
Thank you.