International artists show mirror to their homes, turmoil
Arsh Behal| TNN | Updated: Oct 27, 2017, 12:12 IST
CHANDIGARH: Offering an insight into their hometowns, ravaged and disturbed by the ongoing political stride, socio-economical pluralities, human trafficking, marginalisation of various sections of the society from eight nations, artists of the same display their work through art in an exhibition called ‘Dissensus’, inaugurated at Punjab Kala Bhawan, here on Thursday. The event was organised by Punjab Lalit Kala Akademi.
Reflecting upon her own immigrant experience, Taiwanese artist Fay Ku, tries to encapsulate her struggle to belong, after she moved to America, leaving Taiwan, her as a ‘person of colour’. A reindeer held by feet, lifted by a group of children, pushing it over their heads, while there faces dissolve and blend into the shrubs of the paraphernalia or hiding people’s faces behind houses, while they seem alarmed wrapped by a fuse wire, held by a timer with a lever, being operated by another person, in the process of pushing it down named ‘Threat’.
All painted in graphic ink and acrylics on sheets of drawing film, Ku’s artworks prepare a story on asserting identity. She says, “As an immigrant, woman and person of colour, it is impossible not to become a sort of representative of otherness and indeed my work does directly addresses the realities of existing, as a political and politicised being in the contemporary world. At the same time, my inspiration comes from historical work, from both Eastern and Western histories which are both my heritage.”
The artists which represent India, Nepal, Iran, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Taiwan and Afganistan, form a linear dialogue expressing their angst over the diversity of loss in their country.
Veer Munshi, an Indian artist from Kashmir immerses in his anguish of exile running through him since 26 years and represents the same by creating a stride of coffins, embellished in protruding, weapons of war, consisting of colourful bones, made of paper mache with quotes of courage and valor plated on the inner surface on a bed of sand.
“My works reflect my personal interactions with leaving my hometown in 1990 and precipitate my thoughts on the same. But when you meditate to see and understand what is wrong, you create a space to vent out.”
The exhibition has been curated by Bhawana Kakar, art-director, Lattitude 28, a gallery of contemporary arts and ideas.