PHOTO: EXPRESS
Nausheen Iftikhar’s art installations ‘conceal and reveal’ revolve around her critical view of social, political and religious issues. Through her art pieces, she has tried to deconstruct and redefine the norms and clichéd symbolic understanding of subjects and visuals like text, religious rituals and symbols associated with women, men, human interactions and cultural beliefs.
Nausheen says her new work attempts to redefine the symbol of burqa (veil) from protection and suppression into a form of concealment, concealment of the necessity, necessity understood as identity and victimisation.
Another installation by the artist, a chess set is a transformed game of chess, telling a story of musicians led by a gender-less single leader whose identity and motives are all concealed. Through this piece, Nausheen explored the idea of how general people, like the ones on the chess board, are made to fulfil the actions determined by the leaders blindly with no will of their own and are made to believe that they are incurring a very important role.
In another piece, a super imposition of a turban onto a woman’s head is a question proposed on the challenging defined traditional roles of men and women.
According to Nausheen, another installation titled ‘Simply Play’ was made of a composite of multiple boxes containing left over building materials during the construction of my home.
Farida Fatimah, a former NCA faculty member’s paintings in oil on canvas were inspired by nature and seemingly mundane but beautiful scenery.
“The combination of colours and atmospherics created in my paintings are a reflection of my mood, said Fatimah.
The artists’ work will remain on display till December 12 at the gallery.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 7th, 2016.
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