Written by: Sana Shahid
Posted on: October 16, 2023 | 
| 中文
Failed Disguise by Sophia Khwaja
In historical and contemporary times, exploration of the human body has remained consistent, and the human body’s layered complexity are quite intriguing to explore and unravel. People all over the world are discussing, as well as challenging, the form and functions of the human anatomy to seek clarities on their personal perceptions. An exhibition titled Bare Boned at Satrang Art Gallery adds to the ongoing conversation on diversity and inclusivity.
Untitled by Nadia Batool
Bare Boned showcases works by two talented artists, Nadia Batool Hussain and Sophiya Khwaja. Both artists take the audience on their personal journey of self-exploration. Self-exploration is a continuous endeavour that involves digging deeper into one’s thoughts, emotions and experiences. It’s a process that one should go through, in order to resolve the internal battles they are fighting silently. Through self-exploration, we intend to gain clarity on who we are and what we stand for, becoming more authentic and grounded within our inner selves, and allowing us to live a more meaningful and purposeful life.
Historically, artists used their curiosity to focus more on the tangible aspects of anatomy whereas artists like Batool explore both the tangible and intangible realities of human existence. Batool considers that the biggest and most important quest is the desire to discover oneself. She believes that this process starts from within, by delving deeper into your body and its functions and establishing a purpose for your existence. With increasing awareness, this has become a way of life where people start searching for answers to their existence and how they can be beneficial on a broader spectrum in this world. Batool debates how life has a strong relationship with mortality, a bond so strong and powerful that neither can be complete without the other, and yet the two can’t be compatible either. Mortality is a harsh reality that ends life, but also gives it meaning and a purpose, leading to a dilemma to follow and discover.
Untitled by Nadia Batool
Human anatomy is like a piece of machinery and an inspirational source for Batool that she believes one can ponder upon and contemplate for hours. Her visuals are the epitome of exception where the anatomy is drawn to perfection, paired up with organic and curvy patterns resembling a knitted web. This web seems to be reflecting the complexities of the anatomy, its veins closely crocheted together with other organs like the heart, intestines, the brain, and so forth. Besides these patterns, there are newspaper cutouts with translucent paint splashes in the background, and intricate details of the anatomy that lure you into looking more closely, as opposed to bringing on a grotesque feeling. These artworks depict the artist’s strong command as she perfects the anatomy to its core. Batool makes these works like diagrams, where some parts of the body are labelled that adds a graphical aspect, with multiple layers on top of each other, while some remain transparent and some hidden behind one another. The black circular dots with spiked boundaries portray hair tangled tightly in the form of a ball.
Khwaja, on the other hand, associates authoritative power with humans in which they feel the need to acquire, hoard, or show their dominance in a certain manner. She believes that because of gaining this power, people are indulging in wars and destroying their chances of healthy relationships. This is the sort of power that not only ruins a specific human being but also influences and ruins packs, while the continuous quest for obtaining dominance ends up destroying nations along the way. Khwaja seems to be interested in highlighting the root cause of this type of behavioral imbalance, what gives life power, how it becomes the most important aspect in decision making, and how humans deal with it. The artist explores this concept by considering herself an example to dive deeper into it. This narrative reflects the realities of today, where nations are involved in wars on a greater level whereas on a smaller scale, it’s the same story. People are constantly comparing their lives with others, filling them with envy, and feeding their own continuous desires to make others feel lesser. It’s a vicious cycle that humans have been going through for millennia.
Longing by Sophiya Khwaja
The artist further divides her artworks into three categories. One showcases a ‘Body’ series that sheds light on the power of achieving and following beauty standards. These artworks reflect beauty with a human figure outlined in a neon color, on top of a stark background. Her approach is diverse in this series; some paintings follow a rather minimalistic approach while others are packed with intricacy, but the bold colors and compositions remain consistent. She has also depicted herself in them, where her body is surrounded by the meticulously woven patterns of lipsticks. The green body against a pink shade of lipstick with a black and white cover, can be considered a reminder of “Shrek”, a movie in which the princess’ beauty standards are questioned when she turns green, and how much she despises her green figure as she used to be considered the epitome of beauty once.
Her ‘Labor’ series represents power with the slow progress where one goes through hardships and struggles, in order to gain a certain living standard and improve it with time. This directly points out that people are caught up in a repetitive cycle of trying to increase their net worth by any means necessary. The composition ‘Pressure Point’, comprises of a figure sitting in discomfort carrying a heavy structure on his back, and is a portrayal of people bearing the burdens of the world where one is in a continuous race to be ahead of everyone. In another composition, the same figure is lying straight on an elevated structure, completely burned and drained out of all of his energy. These unforgiving truths completely destroy the balance of the human brain, leaving it dead and filled only with desires. In her third sculptural series ‘Language’, Khwaja affiliates the sense of losing power with losing one's language, culture and surroundings that one was once born into.
Through the Key Hole by Sophiya Khwaja
All these thought-provoking artworks illustrate a rather sadder side of the world, a side everyone is familiar with but hesitate to accept. Society needs artists like Batool and Khwaja, whose works are a stark reminder of where this world is headed and how disruptive it could be, if we don’t move away from this.
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