Asian Inks
Ink on paper
I have always been an avid traveller, of late, an itinerant artist in my own backyard - Asia. A lot of the time, I feel as if I haven't even crossed borders; there's so much overlapping of culture and sensory experiences among these countries. Their sights, sounds, tastes and smells almost seem to be spilling into one another. This I attribute to our historic fluidity, our shared past throughout which we have been interacting among ourselves and with others. This series of ink drawings pays tribute to the confluences of ethnicities, religions, beliefs and customs within the region, transcending borders. Amidst divisive politics, a climate of fear-mongering xenophobia and sectarian violence, I believe it is imperative to remember our shared histories and intertwined destinies.
I have always been an avid traveller, of late, an itinerant artist in my own backyard - Asia. A lot of the time, I feel as if I haven't even crossed borders; there's so much overlapping of culture and sensory experiences among these countries. Their sights, sounds, tastes and smells almost seem to be spilling into one another. This I attribute to our historic fluidity, our shared past throughout which we have been interacting among ourselves and with others. This series of ink drawings pays tribute to the confluences of ethnicities, religions, beliefs and customs within the region, transcending borders. Amidst divisive politics, a climate of fear-mongering xenophobia and sectarian violence, I believe it is imperative to remember our shared histories and intertwined destinies.
A note on the last two images:
Cross-border tragedies remind us that borders are an illusion. We are all similarly affected; we hurt the same, we bleed the same...we cry the same. If we are able to feel and act as one in tragic times, why not always?
Cross-border tragedies remind us that borders are an illusion. We are all similarly affected; we hurt the same, we bleed the same...we cry the same. If we are able to feel and act as one in tragic times, why not always?