EXPLORATION OF IDENTITY
IDENTITY is like an armor that shelters our various emulsions of self that we deeply ponder upon. It gives us ways to discern ourselves with thoughts and ideas that can give a shell of belonging, where we can shelter our vast cosmic emptiness. At times it takes us closer to certain ancestral roots or nostalgic merge of closeness that soothes us. And then again it can create separation, discrimination leading to distraction. The need for identity is also a way to realize our distinctive unique self, to explore our personal entity in the placement of the universal whole, relating to a responsiveness. Identity is a chameleon of thought interpretation of our thinking self, Which can be vast, limitless or unyielding, battered with timidity.
Fearful, personal insecurities with the self and the never ending surge and urge to belong is where everything starts, could lead us to an expression, where we seek a certain stratagem to over power. This urge is explored regardless of good or evil .Power players or the dominators and the victims both are on an opposite cross fire or opposing factions of fearful means. That leads to this play, where one tries to overrule the other. This is ingrained in our nature, but can be modulated with far neutralize receptive practices. Where both can be aware of their destructive existential conclusions. I•D•E•N•T•I•T•Y WHO ARE YOU....TODAY? includes works by Tayeba Begum Lipi, Yasmin Jahan Nupur and Ashfiqa Rahman.
THIS EXHIBITION AIMS TO
The Artists in this expo are trying to respond to issues relating to gender paradoxes, environmental, sociopolitical and existential impacts that explores their thoughts, personal experiences and situational reflections. Nostalgic connotations also social interface of growing sensitivity collaborating the seen or unseen….responses. Human conspiracies of power and ignorance. Incorporating traditional material to explore various sociological and personal affirmations. Issues relating to over emphasis on stereotyped gender disposition than substantiality of being human as a one community having individual aesthetics. Conflict deriving from stereotype beliefs. Suppressed identity crisis performed in a crude physical act. Environmental and cultural awareness. Protecting and restoring life vocabularies, doctrines of value and relationship relating to development and heritage and its impact on ecological and cultural environment. The artists in this exhibition reflect their sense of identity with the collective whole.
Niharika Momtaz
Curator and Founder of BAW
A passion for multifaceted tasking an aesthetic inclination to perceive
the paradigms of social awareness, culture, the arts, and fascination to
blend unique findings of human connection and creative seeking to
approach and mediate various creative impulses. To elaborate and
discover the creative curiosity and collaborate artistic frontiers and
social awareness steered Niharika Momtaz into this curating act of
commuting and uniting…. Art, artistry, and social causes into this act of
curating. A combined mingle of initiating and incorporating.
She is interested in design took herself into the realms of fashion and
wearable sculptural arts. Where she starts to explore her niche for
perceiving things with detailed self-reflection and inquisitively. Giving
more attention to her distinctive ways of approaching, creative urges.
Also, this led her into various interests and linking to conspire herself
into creating platforms of artist, creative processes, and concepts of
interventions.
Tayeba Begum Lipi (b.1969, Bangladesh)
Exploring identity, gender politics, contradiction deriving from stereo typed separation of sexes and ignorant belief system ….all this and the impact on creating defenselessness and leading existential crisis are her voices. Lipi creates sculptural replica with safety pins as metaphors of personal objects into intimate belonging and external entity of self , creating motifs of under garments ,shoes, bags and others as objects conveying its practical uses as well as its inherit need to highlight , quest for identity. As the uses of safety pins can resemble association of time and resonance for the artist as well as brutal sharpness, objects linking incidences, hurt or a volatile act. Sculptural armor like appearance conveying sacred protection of inner vulnerabilities from the external harshness.
Seeking equilibrium
The self and the placement within the realm of introspection and interaction ….the revolving of identity, gender politics, contradiction deriving from stereo typed separation of sexes and ignorant belief system ….all this and the impact on creating defenselessness and leading existential crisis are voices of Tayeba Begum Lipi. Where she explores relations between the inner self of a woman with its thriving as a person to explore possibilities and how gender discrimination and socio vulnerabilities affect the expression of self with vigor. Where one over rides the limitation of genders to flow spontaneously as simply being human. A conscious journey to the past, the collective instinctual memory and practices of one’s personal belongings as sensitive private world of her epitome innocence emerges. The artist creates brass made pins covered by electroless nickel immersion gold, sculptures to initiate and express her perceptions.
She created sculptural replica as metaphors of personal objects into intimate belonging and external entity of self , creating motifs of under garments ,shoes, bags and others as objects conveying its practical uses as well as its inherit needs to highlight, quest for identity . Where the materials conceive various initiations. As the uses of safety pins can resemble association of time and resonance of objects linking incidences, brutal sharpness, hurt ….a volatile act. Also the Sculptural armor like appearance conveying sacred protection of inner vulnerabilities from the external harshness .The nickel plated gold pins could also be a response towards the superficial judgments we face in daily society happenings.
She focuses on 3 objective motifs to explore and express her concepts.
Photos courtesy of BAW
Installation View
Ashfiqa Rahman (b.1988, Bangladesh)
As an artist Ashfiqa investigates issues which are related to specific chosen remote places as an exploration and reinventing neglected concerns in to a state of awareness. The physical act of abuse and its manipulation persuasion to perform unwilling sexual intercourse as means of power and socio political domination. How remote environment is also manipulated by the authorities or the power players to create ignorance and limitation to pass on propaganda, in order to prohibit learning and development.
And by linking art and documentation, incorporating through photography and installation she renders her insight of responsiveness.
As an artist she investigates issues which are related to specific chosen remote places as an exploration and reinventing neglected concerns in to a state of awareness. She elaborates socio political power play, obscured violent acts, evolving cultural aesthetics and beliefs of indigenous race merging with the developing concepts and influences. Reclusive issues, relating and to explore a certain response towards this aspects, which are prior to negligence …. And by highlighting them into recording, incorporating through photography and installation she renders her insight of responsiveness.
The physical act of abuse and its manipulation persuasion to perform unwilling sexual intercourse as means of power and Socio political domination. Degrading the identity of minorities and reclusive to intrude and create violence.
She explores emphatic resonance to preserve the expressions of the neglected and out casted. Beholding obscured identities. She focuses on restoring heritage, cultural aesthetics ….observing on their inherited and present evolving and influences of the developing stimulus .Remote and hidden environments from the developing societies.
How remote environment is also manipulated by the authorities or the power players to create ignorance and limitation to pass on propaganda, in order to prohibit learning and development.
Ashfiqa Rahman
Redeem | 2020
Stitching on locally made organic mats by Oraon Community (Indigenous)
152cm x 152cm
Edition 2 of 3
Photos courtesy of BAW
STITCHING ON LOCALLY MADE ORGANIC MATS
Assemblage wall sculpture
The assemblage wall sculpture titled redeem is anticipation of union.
Where the artist initiates stitching on shital pati as motif, where it can signify the act of stitching as an addition and relating to the other into patterns of seeking togetherness.
Where the artist speaks of collaboration in a community with various evolving beliefs to accommodate differences into a singular geo placement. Accepting change and incorporated new ways of seeing and
acknowledging individual as collective. Different colors could contemplate various beliefs, thoughts, rituals and materials as initiated with the act of mending and joining to render this sculptural expression of community.
Ashfiqa Rahman
Redeem | 2020
Stitching on digital photograph printed on archival paper
15cm by 15cm
Edition 2 of 3
STITCHING ON DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPH
REDEEM is further more recognized in the digital photograph of an Oraon woman. The first Oraon woman to convert into a Christian. The photographic image is manipulated with likeness of KURUKH alphabets imposed on the portrait as identity expression. Which contemplates their traditional stitching renderings and also their expression of tattoos on the skin.
Work in Process
Collaboration with Oraon community
Work in Process Photos Curtesy of Artist
Ashfiqa Rahman
The Power Box | 2016 - 2017
Detail: Digital Photograph printed on archival paper
45.5 x 30.5 cm (unframed)
Edition 1 of 5
Assemblage installation.
An installation that transforms the dialectics of informative technology and home interior into a metaphoric existential value. Where the power box which represents a television, is primarily not only a source of entertainment but also an element of worship for the marginal people in Chalan Beel. The only means of commuting with outside world, where they can find information to feed their curious minds to learn and try to see beyond their sense of living. Here the artist focuses on the TV being controlled and manipulated by the authorities only to give information which can serve as their power propaganda. Where they can ingrain their messages into people for their benefit. Casting news on fanatical extremist and others. So the isolated people cannot rethink in terms of flourishing themselves to an advancing world. To this people TV being the only source of entertainment is an object of God like value. And they treasure this object as almost like a holy book covering and decorating it with such sensitivity. The artist portrays this concepts and sayings of isolation, supremacy and aesthetics.
Publication: 2019 GEO.de
2020 GEO saison
All Photos courtesy of BAW
Yasmin Jahan Nupur (b.1979, Bangladesh)
The intricacy of tactility, sensory world of the textile sensitivity, its manifesto on a traditional expression by the weavers of jamdani and the contemporary realization as collaboration, intuitive , individual, interpersonal investigation, Nupur as an artist explores all these possibilities.
She renders the traditional weaving technique of Jamdani as a means of aspiration. She uses the textural motifs of the traditional weavers and transports her understanding and anticipation by interpreting, rearranging and configuring them into an incorporated means of visual expression. Where she renders the weavers’ traditional geometric and repetitive meditative patterns into a converting temperament of watercolor and ink medium on paper. She also used text on her jamdani woven fabric to induce her personal emotions and experiences within the realm of social political and personal agenda.
Patterns of a Tactile Score
The intricacy of tactility, stimulated formation of the sensory world of the textile sensitivity, its manifesto on a traditional expression by the weavers of jamdani and the contemporary realization as collaboration, intuitive , individual, interpersonal exploration of community and aesthetic engagement to convey social interaction ,contemplation , rhythm ....She as an artist explores all these possibilities.
She renders the traditional weaving technique of Jamdani as a means of aspiration. She uses the textural motifs of the traditional weavers and transports her understanding and anticipation by interpreting, rearranging and configuring them into an incorporated means of visual expression. Where she renders the weavers traditional geometric and repetitive meditative patterns into a converting temperament of watercolor and ink medium on paper. Where the various range of weaving intensity is recreated with various opposing tensions of line, tempo and structural designing blocks of weaving scores. Almost giving an illusion of musical frequencies. She also used text on her jamdani woven fabric to induce her personal emotions and experiences within the realm of social, political and personal agenda.
Patterns of a Tactile score .... The sensitivity of touch and diverse temperament of fabric within the span of time and pressure creates various rhythmic patterns of tactile sensitivity. The artist visually describes this varied fractions of roughness and softness through visual mediums. As in the musical score it delineates music in terms of changes in pitch over time.Artist initiates this patterns as structural visual journey of rhythm and design derived from the reading from the traditional jamdani patterns of geometrics of fabric tactility. She incorporates this jamdani motifs into her transporting of design using medium of water color and ink.
Yasmin Jahan Nupur
From the series Patterns of a Tactile Score l 2020-2021
Watercolor and pen on paper
47 x 47 cm ( without frame- 38 x 38 cm)
9 similar type artworks will be displayed
Courtesy of Exhibit320
Yasmin Jahan Nupur
Manifesto, 2017-2018
Jamdani (Cotton), Silver yarn and Hand Embroidery
101.6 × 177.8 × 2.5 cm (Unique)
Yasmin Jahan Nupur
Nobody bought anybody's silence | 2017
Jamdani (cotton) Weaving
117 x 222 cm
A jamdani fabric ....free, soft, loosened rope like element of textile fibre with roughly uniform thickness, creating layer of merging silver spinning thread. Combination with embroidery forming a manifestation of diverse methods and temperament of tactility. Also creating a floating display of fabric installation in its textural stories of sensations.
A woven jamdani fabric as an interface of texts. Where the artist expressed her thought responses as questions, means to introspect us, them and the society. Through the fabric weaving rendering she explores alphabets as patterns and thoughts and creating certain awareness. Nobody bought anybody's silence....this could suggest a realm of insight, where there is nothing more to say.
Courtesy of Yasmin Jahan Nupur and Exhibit320
All Photos Courtesy of BAW