DUBAI/KARACHI: Unveiled at the opening of the 8th IVS Alumni Show, “All that is wild also blooms” on 21st September 2024, “Early September” is an expansive collaborative art installation that incorporates painting, image transfer, textile art, and embroidery. The collaboration between three artists with diverse studio practises- Iman Ahmed, Amna Qamar, and Ahwar Nasir – brings a unique perspective to exploring the passage of time and memories that bloom in domestic spaces.
Central to the process of collaborating on the eighteen feet long tapestry is negotiating the individual desires of each artist within a collective framework. Iman Ahmed delves into the intricate patterns and textures of carpets and textiles found in our homes. Through photography, pressing flowers and image transfers, she captures the essence of these textiles, inviting viewers to contemplate the organic narratives woven into our living spaces. Amna Qamar’s introspective painting blurs the lines of representation, evoking the sensation of memory intersecting with the physicality of floors, textures, tiles, and surfaces that bridge the past with the future. Ahwar Nasir contributes to the collective exploring memory and emotions evoked through the use of fabric. Utilizing thread organza, and embroider, she maps, with delicate intricacy, the human condition and the notion of home in a transient urban environment, like Karachi.
Admiring each other’s practice, finding connections through visual mediums and research, and letting go of rigid individual approaches, the three artists paint, print, embroider, and stitch together diverse perspectives and moments of care that come together in a tapestry evoking memory, nostalgia, and a desire to find paradise in small, earthly moments.
Each layer is built up over a series of image transfers, drawings, text, needlework and thin glazes of deep blue paint and inks. The artists used a series of canvas and fabric patched which were each developed in a series of layers. The three methods of surface-building were then pieced together and developed into a single, layered scroll. Just as the work comes together, both seen and unseen in its depth, “Early September” forms a space for introspection and dialogue, inviting viewers to reflect on their own experiences and resonance within the spaces they inhabit. It is a testament to the power of collective care and uncovering hidden stories through texture, colour, and mark-making.
“Early September” will be on display at the IVS Gallery from Monday 23rd September till Tuesday, October 1st 2024, 11-7pm.
Article written by Iman Ahmed, Amna Qamar, Ahwar Nasir
