DUCKS SHOPPING FOR BREAD

One wonders what art may have looked like if modern technology had not existed. By modern technology I mean cameras, mobile phones, personal computers, and devices and softwares such as tablets and the Adobe Suite, which allow for the creation of digital art. Now, mobile phones have apps that can help record, edit and most importantly distribute [reproductions of] artwork (Instagram, anyone?). If these did not exist, would people be painting en plien air? Would the only way to paint portraits of someone be if the subject 'sat' for long hours for days, weeks, months, for the artist to emulate from life? Would art-making not have been as diverse and experimental, or would artists have found different ways of diversifying and innovating? Since a couple of years, I have increasingly been using different forms of technology to create my works. From making video art and sound-pieces using Adobe Premiere Pro and Garageband/Audacity, to using a digital tablet to make illustrations, to...

A Treasury of the Kitsch  Experience Reading the book ' The Artificial Kingdom' by Celeste Olalquiaga has been a great supplement to my studio practice. I have read most of the chapters so far, and it has opened my eyes to the beginnings of the development of what we call ‘kitsch’ today. I read about the changing times from the rise of the alluring arcades of Paris to the spectacular Crystal Palace that housed the Great Exhibition in London, as well as how industry took over the natural, and moulded it into something else altogether. The black and white pictures and drawings included add a flavor of nostalgia, and also a glimpse into traditional documentation methods from that time. Firstly, what is kitsch? Kitsch is art or other objects that, generally speaking, appeal to popular rather than "high art" tastes . Such objects are sometimes appreciated in a knowingly ironic or humorous way. What, then, about mermaids? The last few chapters of the book are extensively ...

I have often included Alice from Lewis Carrol's work in my pieces, be it in my currency-note paintings, or in the new paper-cuts I've been making. This inclusion is not only because of the nostalgia this imagery evokes, but of the larger ideas it brings forth. Here are some coming-of-age Alice in Wonderland ideas:  The Tragic and Inevitable Loss of Childhood Innocence Throughout the course of  Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland , Alice goes through a variety of absurd physical changes. The discomfort she feels at never being the right size acts as a symbol for the changes that occur during puberty. Alice finds these changes to be traumatic, and feels discomfort, frustration, and sadness when she goes through them...These constant fluctuations represent the way a child may feel as her body grows and changes during puberty.  Life as a Meaningless Puzzle In  Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland , Alice encounters a series of puzzles that seem to have no clear solutions, which...

Snip, mirror, overlap, layer, contrast, tweak. Can you guess the painting? It's Hieronymous Bosch's Garden of Earthly Delights,  which I included in one of my earlier blogs as well. I scanned one of my intricate paper-cuts, mirrored it on Photoshop and layered it against one of my favourite works, coming up with a number of versions.  I noted, in an earlier blog post: I've included this piece because I believe it encapsulates how strange the world feels today; almost surreal, eerie, unpredictable, yet with a glimmer of hope. The contrast is that people are inside their homes instead of out in the open. The overlapping imagery makes this piece look eerie and surreal, and also brings in layers of complexity that were not present to this extent in the original paper-cut itself.  Does it draw you in? How does the context of my paper-cut change? How does the context of the original painting change? Is this appropriation on my end? Does this make Bosch's work my work now...

It's been a week since I've been back in London. I cannot believe this time has come. The sadness, uncertainty and pain that came with the first few months of Covid-19 has reduced, and I am now reunited with my friends. I am so so so grateful to God. I had truly internalised that this may never happen. I've been in quarantine since. The first week went by smoothly. Shruti brings me groceries and I brought canned chicken from Pakistan (great decision!). I cannot see anyone yet, though I met my friends from afar when I landed at Goodenough College (my accommodation). I'm not showing any Covid symptoms. God is kind. May it remain this way.

  Sculpture of Black Lives Matter protester replaces Edward Colston statue What an amazing, powerful statement by an artist! The Guardian reported a week ago (but I only found out today) that a 17th century slave trader statue, pulled down by protestors in Bristol, was replaced by a sculpture of Jen Reid, one of the Black Lives Matter protestors by British artist Mark Quinn. The Guardian stated: "Arriving in two lorries before 5am, a team of 10 people worked quickly to install the figure of Reid, who said she had been secretly working with Quinn on the idea for weeks. It came as a complete surprise to the authorities, who are yet to announce their plans for the location. A cardboard placard reading “black lives still matter” was placed at the bottom of the plinth." Cheers as Bristol protesters pull down statue of 17th century slave trader For those who believe art is useless and/ or exclusive or meant only for the educated and elite, this relevant political statement serves t...

I have always been fascinated with the sea, or with water bodies. Which is interesting because I'm not much of a beach person. I love the sound of water; waves splashing, streams running, rain pouring. I love the blueness of the water and the sky. Cinderella was my first favourite Disney princess because her dress was ice blue. Ariel was my second favourite because she was from under the sea. I have always been on the lookout for blue flowers because you don't find them in Pakistan; or at least in my city, Karachi. Blue is my favourite colour. It soothes me. I only realised all of the above very recently when I began thinking about what I like and why I like what I like.

I've been experimenting with  animation and sound  in my  paper-cuts . This particular piece was made by attaching 3 different pages together to create the illusion of a longer  narrative.  More than an animated piece, I would call this a paper-cut  cinemagraph. A cinemagraph is a photograph that displays subtle animation to give the illusion of infinite movement.  In my pieces, the papercut (the base art-work) is photographed and motion effects and sound are added later to create a more immersive experience. Many people believe GIFs and cinemagraphs are one and the same. This is a myth.  Here is the difference ! (click below): GIFs Vs Cinemagraphs

I have begun exploring the idea of animation and sound with my pieces. I believe this will expand the scope of my work and give it more meaning. Here is one example: The papercut:

🙌I'M BACK IN LONDON!!!!! YAY! I CANNOT BELIEVE IT. I wasn't sure if this would happen at all, and wasn't planning on coming back till the end of August once I had submitted my thesis and written work. However, my parents encouraged me to go back earlier keeping in mind the mandatory 14-day quarantine I would have to undertake, so I booked my ticket three weeks ago, thankfully for a good price. I had to take a Covid nasal-swab test, which thankfully did not hurt as others had implied, and it came out negative. When I arrived, I must admit I felt strange seeing the glass barrier at the reception and all the tables and chairs removed at Goodenough College (my accommodation), though the precautionary measures (mask and viser mask and sanitisers and social distancing) at the airports did not feel strange. When I got off the cab outside my accommodation and saw the rather empty streets, I felt like a tourist visiting London, but I believe this will change with time.  I...

Shooting Across The Border I've decided to revisit this collaboration because I've been feeling a sense of nostalgia about the past and have been ruminating about the idea of man-made boundaries and divisions . India and Pakistan have had a love-hate relationship since they were divided post colonial rule in 1947. It is surprising for many to know that despite being right next to each other and sharing a border, Indians and Pakistanis cannot visit each other's countries unless in exceptional circumstances.  My Indian friend Abhishek Thapar, who I met at an artist-in-residence programme in Fribourg, Switzerland in 2016, and I, decided to 'meet' each other across the Ganda Singh/Hussainiwala Borders in Kasur, Pakistan and Ferozepur, India. Below are images from both our perspectives. My perspective Abhishek's perspective To be able to be in different countries and see and wave at each other across 'forbidden' spaces with menacing guards looking on, was a s...

Light. Shadow. Close. Far. Up. Down. Inwards. Outwards. Negative. Positive.

SEA EARTH SPACE (headphones on for both) AQUATIC WORLDLY COSMIC ATEMPORAL

What can I say. I still don't have words. Above is the completed piece that was commissioned to me by Ali Hamza, one of my absolute favourite Pakistani musicians from the band Noori, that I've loved for 17 years. It's an image of me and him with the piece, and the display of how it looks in his studio.  When I went to his place to drop off the painting, they invited me inside. To my delight, they (him and his wife Nafisa) loved the painting. After chatting for a bit and dinner, we ended up having am Instagram Live Session where I not only got to talk about the painting, but SING WITH HIM AS WELL!! That was an absolute DREAM COME TRUE! The sweetest was, when I was leaving, he not only gave me some of his merchandise, but a hand-written note saying thank you. This experience has been the highlight of my months back in Karachi, Pakistan.  I will treasure these memories forever.

My favourite Pakistani pop/rock band Noori, and my renditions of them over the years <3  When Ali Hamza (band member) contacted me to commission a painting for his studio (first image) in June 2020 while I've been back in Karachi, I was over the moon. A cycle completes, we have gone full-circle; I have loved and gained inspiration from their music for 17 years, and they now asked for my art to be placed in the very room they seek inspiration in. 2020 (Completed commissioned piece, gouache on archival print, 4x3.5 ft.) 2011 (Mural at Indus Valley School of Art, Karachi, my alma mater) 2010 (Acrylic painting on canvas, 2x2 ft.) 2003 (Comic strip) 2003 (Pencil sketch...) (...which became my birthday invitation card) 17 years of fandom and art :)