Written by: Nimra Khan
Posted on: May 19, 2022 | 
| 中文
Dancing Soul by Sehrish Wilayat
A recent show at Full Circle Gallery brings together three artists from three faiths. They incorporate religious imagery and symbolism in various forms to talk about the intersection of religion and culture in South Asian society, and the subsequent adulteration of both that can lead to a sense of estrangement or misperceptions. As a concept this line of questioning has become familiar in art and otherwise, yet some of the works view it through an interesting new lens and offer visual resolutions that are unique and personal, yet universally relatable.
Art enthusiasts at the Full Circle Gallery
Sehrish Willayat’s work comes out of a visual exploration of storytelling, which to her is associated with her childhood memories of listening to stories about Jesus told by her mother. To her these were fantastical fables, and through her work she relays the relationship that she has developed with her faith. The work takes on the form of 12th-16th century religious panel paintings depicting scenes inspired from scriptures, which the church used to create an understanding of divine religious concepts for the people, who could not read at the time. Willayat combines this religious iconography with pop cultural imagery, in a way looking to achieve much the same purpose, making these images more relatable for the modern masses with a touch of whimsy. Jesus and Mary are adorned with the headpieces of our modern saviors, and Jesus’s table is stocked with salads and Big Macs.
Super Cops by Sehrish Wilayat
This also makes one contemplate the ideological muddling of religion and culture, and whether it corrupts an unchanging ancient set of beliefs, or molds it into a version that is more suitable for the times. While the confusing of a rigid view of religion and toxic cultural practices can be dangerous, adapting religion to certain fluid aspects to fit modern values can allow for a more tolerant society, still in touch with its roots.
Sunaina Talreja also uses a whimsical language to articulate these ideas, raising questions of religious tolerance, social justice and isolation in South Asia and the subcontinent specifically. A series of handmade stuffed cloth figures depict the various Hindu gods and goddesses, comprised of various printed materials. These almost childlike depictions seem to bring an innocent purity to these belief systems, and make them approachable, removing the element of fear from the concept of religion at large, and minority communities specifically. Constructed with rugged imperfection, they break the notion of rigidity and conformity in religious beliefs, and instead offer a more playful approach. By wrapping them in a familiar garb, the fear of the unknown is also removed.
Let the Source be framed -1 by Sunaina Talreja
These similar musings inspire the work of Maheen Niazi, who critiques prescriptive forms of religion which radicalize beliefs and create suffocating structures, which do not have much logical thought or reasoning behind them. She uses repetitive lines and patterns lifted from Islamic references, such as the prayer cap and prayer mat, isolating the form in neon green and white on a black background. Suspended in midair, these create hollow structures, like soulless schematics that bind us and take us around in repetitive circles. The work would have benefitted from more technical finesse, however, as similar ideas have been explored more successfully by many artists in the past. The interwoven structures indicate the complexity of our society, yet it seems like the complexity of the issue has not been explored to its fullest depths and condensed into a single perspective.
Untitled (Diptych) by Maheen Niazi
However, as a whole it is exciting to have multiple views on the theme of religion, culture and society, not only from the dominant narrative but also voices from the peripheries and the margins. We get personal accounts from individuals, loved experiences and beliefs, rather than what we see in the media and in political contexts. It brings to light our commonalities rather than what divides and separates us as communities by looking at how we practice our beliefs, and how we experience our faith rather than the details of what we believe.
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