MADEEHA ATTARI


WEEPING WORDS

Artist Statement

An ode to my father; a few of his favourite lines from Munir Niazi’s famous existential poem Kuch Unj Vi Ravaan Aukhian San.

کج اونج وی راہواں اوکھیاں سن
کج گلےوچ غماں دا طوق وی سی
کج شہر دے لوک وی ظالم سن
کج سانوں مرن دا شوق وی سی
منیر نیازی

Transliteration:
kujh onj vi rahwan aukhiaN san
kujh galay vich ghaman da tauq vi si
kujh shehr dey lok vi zalim san
kujh sanoo marn da shawq vi si.
– Munir Niazi

Translation:
the ways were hard, somewhat
the sorrows collared my neck, as well
the townsfolk were harsh, somewhat
the death wish, I had, as well
– Translated by Jasdeep Singh

LARGE ABSTRACT SERIES

Artist Statement

As I was heavily inspired by the 50’s abstract expressionism, my initial idea was to experiment with shapes and colours especially the interaction between the two and that’s how the colour bands came into being.

Then diving deeper into shape and form, I experimented with heavy texturing and use of brighter colours. In a way I became more and more obsessed with layering colours upon each other to create texture in a way that it would create a space that one could enter into.

I feel my impulsive choice of colour and the aggressive mix of it has been an effective means of conveying my spontaneous emotional expression.

Madeeha Attari

Artist Bio

Madeeha Attari (b.1983/Lahore/Pakistan) completed her schooling in Lahore after which she went on to do her BSc Honours in International Relations at the London School of Economics and Political Sciences, London, UK, 2005. After working at the House of Lords in London, she returned to Lahore in 2006.

Her abstraction and photography are representative of her attempt to reconcile her inner consciousness with the outside world as she treads the path of self-discovery, all the while documenting on canvas and film a myriad experiences. She draws from her years of conflicted quiet desperation of being a faceless identity as a Pakistani living in India to the joy of finding love and embracing a culture and community, which has given her both a new sense of wonder and belonging.

Taking inspiration from the 50’s Abstract expressionist movement, Madeeha attempts to use contrasting colours, irregular linear form, and at times an aggressive mix of texture for spontaneous personal emotional expression. Her work is often interspersed with multiple layers of gritty paintwork creating a unique tactile experience. The artist lives and works in Mumbai, India.



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