There is a social tendency to distance oneself from that which is different. We derive separation, distances from our culture and heritage. This was the crux of Nazia Ejaz’s recent art exhibition, Jaali: Points of separation.
Displayed at Rohtas 2 Gallery on Saturday, the exhibition was about things that connect us and also separate us.
“This is about how sometimes there are layers of things which hide the truth or can separate us from the truth. How we see things sometimes are coloured by feelings, religion and nation,” Nazia said in a sitting with Pakistan Today.
While further elaborating on her work, she said, “This way of thinking is not particular to anyone place. It is how humans interact. Without realising, we have biases when we look at others because of who we are and where we are brought. Then there is media that effects your perceptions, economics also. We absorb all these influences. The way we look at others is influenced by all these factors. Do we look with respect? With desire to learn? Or with disrespect?”
The concept and physicality of jaali (screens), was used as metaphors for these points of separation.
“Screens are very interesting metaphors for me. They protect you from sun but also bring you light,” she said.
Explaining the reason to use jaalis as metaphor, Nazia writes in her artist statement, “Jaali-Screens are a common feature of Indo-Islamic architecture and are used for separation, for demarcating a space, to form boundaries, to shroud and reveal, depending on the perspective of the viewer. The interconnected and symmetrical structure of the screen creates awareness of a space beyond the gaze but obstructs it at the same time. It manages the gaze, both outside (of the screens) and inside (the space).”
Nazia is currently living in Adelaide, Australia. She has lived abroad for 11 years and her living abroad has influenced her work.
“This work has a lot to do with my living away from home at the moment. I am from Lahore. My heart very much belongs here. Just being outside of this country and this culture, it makes you think about certain things which are important to you; important universally. Being in between places is what gave birth to this work,” she said.
Selected pieces of her work were displayed which included photographs, mirror, and structure made from sticks and thread. In number of her images, she used Grill patterns from Lahore Fort.
A graduate of National College of Arts, Nazia pursued her Masters in Visual Arts from the Slade School of Art, London (UCL). She received a scholarship to study Indian Art History with the School of Oriental and African studies and Sothebys Institute in London.
Nazia has worked as a print-maker, painter and teacher in the UK, Australia and Pakistan. She draws inspiration from her cultural heritage and cross-cultural, everyday life experiences. Her work examines the correlation between reality and perception.
