Emirati artist Khalid Al Banna, Aisha Khalid from Pakistan and Teheran-based Iranian artists Nargess Hashemi, Zahra Imani and Sara Rahmanian are presenting their recent works in a group show titled “Domestic Affairs”. The common thread running through the show is the use of textiles as an art material, and the depiction of human figures. The artists have used these to create interesting narratives about the routineness and intimacies of domestic life, and to address themes of lost traditions, personal and collective memories, human relationships and the ever-changing urban landscapes.
Al Banna often uses fabrics in his work to reflect the past as well as the vibrant and dynamic culture of modern UAE. “I have always enjoyed visiting old souqs in Sharjah and Dubai, where you can find an eclectic mix of fabrics from India, Pakistan, Iran and the Arab world. This has enriched my visual sense and enhanced my attention towards the details of different art forms, while also getting me interested in using fabric rather than paint in my work,” he says.
The two new works he is presenting in this show are from the “Wedding” series, and feature assemblages of pieces of beaded and sequinned fabrics, mounted on circular wooden frames.
Fantal Spasm by Sara Rahmanian, acrylic and ink on canvas, 2016
“My work is mostly rooted in the pre-oil era, a time that my generation did not experience. It talks about the local culture in its simplest form by highlighting the vibrant, colourful clothes that Emirati women wore in the past. They would buy fabrics from the souq and have the garments tailored locally; but this part of the culture is gradually disappearing from contemporary society as these kind of clothes are now used only at traditional events. My artworks, featuring colourful fabrics sourced from local souqs, reflect an important era from the forgotten past, which we are losing today due to the rapid development in the UAE and the influx of modernity in our behaviour, attitudes and way of life. I believe it is very important to document this, and my artworks are an attempt to somehow preserve these fabrics with beautiful designs and colours, and to show the beauty of the past in a contemporary way,” he says.
Instead of paint and brushes, Imani has used fabrics to create a variety of intriguing and amusing scenes in her intimate and surreal works. In a work titled “In the Gallery” fabric figures of visitors are seen viewing artworks on the walls such as Whistler’s famous portrait of his mother, also crafted from fabric. But the artist has added a strange twist to this ordinary scene with an image of a curious little boy attempting to peep under the voluminous dress of an embarrassed woman. Other works depict blindfolded male musicians playing at a women-only event, and two brides in a room, which looks like a garden. The use of fabrics of different types, colours and patterns to create every detail of the scenes, such as the bridal gowns, the flowers in the bouquet and in the garden, the jewellery, the musical instruments, and stage curtains framing the scenes, adds texture, a sense of drama and a third dimension to the artworks.
“I look at a lot of images, artistic ones as well as pictures of very ordinary and banal moments of life. I am fascinated not just with the subject and the characters, but also the context and the space they are in. I like to move the characters to different spaces and situations, or put together things that should not be seen together in a space where they do not belong. I do this to saturate and highlight their presence and meaning, thereby emphasising a situation and story that has become ordinary due to monotonous repetition. I am also interested in exploring the possibility of reinventing and reviving lost meanings. So, my works are about being in places that you are not supposed to be in, such as two brides in a room, a naughty child in a museum, or male musicians playing for female dancers. This last scene is odd in today’s Iran, but it was not normal even in the Qajr era when male musicians were blindfolded while playing at female parties,” Imani says.
The artist traces her love for textiles to her childhood. “This is the most familiar material for me because my mother was a skilled tailor. She used to make small fabric objects and toys for me and my sister; and my father, who was a professional shoemaker, taught me how to make flowers with fabric and leather. Although I began my career as a painter working with oil paints, a few years ago I found a tiny picture of a bunny my mother had made for me, and that reminded me of how much I used to enjoy working with fabric, and the strong connection I have with it. I feel that most human beings have this connection because we are constantly encompassed with textiles in the form of clothes, upholstery and accessories. I always use ordinary fabrics that are easily available in the local market because people associate different textiles with different meanings and functions, and their perception of the texture and quality of the fabrics I have used in a work infuses the work with feelings and meanings that cannot be conveyed with paint,” she says.
A work from Khalid Al Banna’s Weddings series.
Khalid belongs to a generation of Pakistani artists that has revitalised the traditional medium of miniature painting by juxtaposing decorative surfaces with socio-political subtexts. But her work in the show is an installation titled “Comforter” featuring two bright red comforters, with needles running through them instead of stitches. The work seems to be floating a few inches above the floor.
“This work is inspired by the comforters that Pakistani parents gift to their daughters as part of the wedding dowry. This is a common practice in my country, and the comforters are usually brightly coloured and made of velvet. I have used two single sized comforters and joined them together with long, steel needles. Usually, such needles are used to make thread stitches on the quilts, but here, you can see the sharp needles on one side, and gold-plated steel wires crossing through on the other side. Although the piece looks like a single comforter, the patterns made by the needles on each piece are different, indicating different personalities. The work speaks about relationships between different personalities, and the fact that when two people decide to live together their individuality is just as important as their collaboration. I used needles to highlight the fact that we are always expected to make our relationship beautiful and comfortable, but I find this concept threatening and painful at the same time,” she says.
Hashemi’s drawings, which depict intimate observations of the dualities that permeate her daily life in Iran, also have a strong focus on textiles. They capture mundane moments from domestic life, such as a man fast asleep in his bed, a woman engrossed in cleaning her house or sewing, and scenes from a traditional Iranian wedding. The delicate drawings have been done with pen on tracing paper, which has then been stapled on to another sheet of paper. In many works, a layer of fabric, or patterns created with yarn on the background are visible through the tracing paper.
The beauty of these drawings is in the details such as the floral patterns on the bedsheets and comforter, and the way these fabrics are draped around the sleeping figure; or the harmony between the geometric shapes of the sofas, and the patterns on the carpet and upholstery in the living room, and the lines of the woman’s body as she kneels on the carpet to brush it. In the wedding scenes, the artist has created a variety of different dresses, suits, scarves and bags from the same textile background through skilful shading on the tracing paper.
“I grew up in a traditional and large family in Iran, but after I started living independently away from home, I gradually lost touch with that lifestyle. Whenever I visited my family, I would observe things that I had never noticed before because they were so much part of the routine. I became fascinated with all the obvious differences in our lifestyles, and these differences and familial traditions became inspirations for my artworks. I tried to keep in touch with my earlier lifestyle and document it by taking lots of photographs at family gatherings, parties and weddings, which I have used to create works that show personal aspects of daily life and traditions such as housework, conversations and sleeping. By looking at these activities I am searching for ordinary moments in life. There are many layers in the differences between the daily lives and personal routines of my family and myself; and by using a layered drawing technique in my work I am trying to hold these different aspects of everyday life together,” she says.
Rahmanian’s figurative drawings and paintings are also inspired by everyday life, family relationships and memories of the past. They capture intimate gestures in the context of the home such as an affectionate hug between a mother and child, or a playful moment with a pet. The intricate details of the patterns on the garments worn by her subjects are an important part of the compositions.
“I am interested in events that have become remnants of the past. Feelings of distress, loss or happiness are integral in my works. Through these I reflect on a person’s emotional journey from childhood to adulthood, and their interaction with others, be they humans or animals. The body appears in my work as a carrier of all these emotions, memories of the past and dreams for the future,” she says.
The artist’s quirky sense of humour shines through in the way she has depicted her subjects from unusual perspectives, and the satirical titles of her works. For instance, in a painting titled “Galaxy” a mother is embracing her infant, and her hand is portrayed as a lever while the child’s hair resembles the fractal pattern of a galaxy.
“Satire is a way of telling the truth, and I often include this in the titles, which are usually based on the appearance of my subjects. Most of my compositions are based on photographs I aimlessly take on my cellphone. These pictures help me to understand the relationship between two people, and to choose the right perspective visually,” she says.
Jyoti Kalsi is an arts-enthusiast based in Dubai.
“Domestic Affairs” will run at Gallery Isabelle Van Den Eynde until September 8.
