Michal Glikson, an ambitious Australian artist, displayed her miniatures in an exhibition titled ‘Floating in Hindustan’ at the Nairang Art Galleries. The artist, who loves to travel and document her experiences, likes to call herself the “travelling storyteller” and has spent time both in Pakistan and India. Her work reflects both her talent in the field of miniatures and her keen observation that enables her to tell the stories of the people she met during her travel. “I have travelled a lot, and all my works have a background, stories of different people from different countries,” Glikson said. Her work includes short phrases incorporated in the miniatures. “I wanted my message to be conveyed to the fullest, so one finds sentences and words in my miniatures”, she added.
The art pieces displayed reflected a rare collage of different ethnicities and told the tales of people from different geographical locations. She said: “My practice involves documenting the complexity of crossing cultures between India, Pakistan and Australia through approaches that integrate anthropological research with storytelling. I sketch and draw as I travel, in situ and on the street, refining my imagery using techniques of Indian miniature painting. “In Floating in Hindustan I mythologise the stories of the people I met in context of the politically polarised cultures, such as Gujarat, where I studied for Masters in Fine Arts at the Baroda School and Pakistani Punjab where I studied Persian Miniature painting.” She stated that ‘Floating in Hindustan’ was completed over nine months, during which she crossed and re-crossed the Indo-Pakistan border.
“The work is a journal about crossing borders and my exposure to the legacies of partition. It has also been a way of describing that Australia, India and Pakistan are linked in many ways including their historical occupation by the British Raj,” she added. The exhibition attracted people from various walks of life who appreciated the work displayed. Sumaira Amjad, a student of arts, said the pieces were very detailed and showcased the artist’s talent. “The pieces show how fluent the artist is in one of the most demanding art forms,” said Ayesha a lawyer.
