Put simply, textile or fibre art refers to fine art created with material that constitutes, as medium or surface, natural or synthetic fibre and other components such as fabric or yarn. It focuses on the materials and manual labour on the part of the artist as part of the works’ significance, and prioritises aesthetic value over utility. This means that the usual function of the fabric in this case is being a medium of expression - rather than it having a particular function.
At VM Art Gallery, Samina Islam (curator and educationist) recently put together a unique exhibition based on this very theme. Recognising the want of exhibitions focusing solely on textile art and its variants, Islam invited an exciting mix of local and international artists who work along similar lines to showcase their work in Karachi. In doing so, she concurrently provided an insight into the history, application, technique and individual meaning of works produced through the use of thread and fabric.
Numair A. Abbasi (Pakistan) used fabric as his surface as well as in his imagery. Dominating his large-scale charcoal drawings were silhouettes of shalwar kameez-clad men minus their physical features. The gradual dropping of the shalwar and outstretched arms, coupled with the crimson dye lacing the bottom of his pieces, aptly reinforce Abbasi’s critique of ‘the associated power (or lack of) and abuse of the acquired privilege within and beyond the male community’.
Masuma Halai Khwaja - 'Charlie aur hum'
Asad Hussain's veiled faces evoke the delicacy of the female form - but also the society that aims to enshroud her and suffocate her within fabric
Roohi Ahmed’s (Pakistan) installation reminded one of a cross between honeycombs, basketball nets and stalactites/stalagmites. Resulting from a work process that uses intuition and chance, Ahmed’s work was an impactful spatial structure.
Asad Hussain’s (Pakistan) veiled faces seemed to merge the solidity of the human facial structure with the fluidity of cloth. Not only did it evoke the delicacy of the female form, but also the society that aims to enshroud her and suffocate her within fabric.
Samina Islam (Pakistan) displayed photographs of women either veiled or covered in cloth, onto which fiber and thread were stitched to create a rich texture. Her work is strongly gender-based and reflects her view that women form the backbone of a society, also commenting on patriarchal tendencies.
Sue Stone - 'Family with fish'
Masuma Halai Khwaja (Pakistan) showcased colourful, intricate tapestries that immediately caught the eye, displaying happy faces. However, her in-depth analysis of the history and journey of the material and fabric used provided an alternate viewpoint to the resulting artwork. Khawaja stated, “These textiles are sold by immigrants from the region, have rich histories and belong to different parts of the world. I pair them with embroideries usually from culturally rich, rural areas of Pakistan… that have had a lot of time and effort invested into them. I then meld the two together by ruthlessly cutting the embroidery into little pieces, which resonates well with the breaking up of traditions due to the effects of globalisation. I reconstitute the cut-up pieces by literally stitching an entirely different narrative that includes the stories of both, the embroidered piece and the fabric it is placed on.”
From amongst the international artists, Rosie James (UK) displayed an exciting installation of transparent hanging fabric in the center of the gallery space. Having observed crowds and gatherings of people, James drew and then stitched them onto the surfaces using a sewing machine, aptly capturing their preoccupied gazes and movements.
Lyndsey McDougall (Ireland) displayed a video piece that revealed her fascination with physical and cultural landscapes. Her work investigated the parallels between the formation of natural forms and the formation of beliefs and symbols. Via hand-embroidery, McDougall drew and adapted geographical and symbolic imagery in her work.
Richard McVetis (UK) displayed a series of small cubes created with traditional hand stitch techniques and mark-making with simple, subdued colour. His interest in the ritualistic, repetitive nature of the process and marking time resulted in the piece‘Units of Time’ - an enquiry into the way time and place are felt, experienced and constructed.
Amy Meissner’s (USA) work was striking in a subtle way. What looked like a bathroom mat or towel revealed the words ‘Scrub harder’, with bloody wound-like marks stitched on the side. As a statement against the ‘domestic role’ of women, Meissner used traditional beautiful handiwork and merged it with the uncomfortable and frightening.
Manica Musil (Slovenia) showcased adorable, childlike imagery cleverly using techniques of sewing, gluing and crocheting with ordinary materials, and putting them together to create interesting stories that reveal the ‘hidden worlds’ inside of her.
Sue Stone (UK) displayed a portrait of a family (perhaps her own) with a fish, a symbol of her heritage, being the daughter of a fish merchant and a seamstress. As a figurative artist, Stone has a way with expression, conveyed well through processes of hand-stitching and machine-stitching to create texture.
The show introduces the public to a variety of ways in which textile and fiber can be used, and also showcased a mix of diverse cultures, stances and voices that produced individual narratives despite the use of a specific medium. Islam, with a good mix of artists and an apt display, thereby curated a successful show for art aficionados to enjoy.
