By Krishna Purohit

Faiza Sheikh’s latest exhibit “Forbidden Love” is a visual meditation on the universal concepts of peace and love. The London-based artist’s unique aesthetic combines luscious color palettes with embedded pages from religious texts to create a powerful message of acceptance. Having already faced censorship in Mumbai, due to her use of scriptures, she now brings her mantra of unity back to England at the Black Rat Gallery.

But first Faiza sits down with EGO to talk about her art and the concept of tamasha.



EGO: How do you define yourself as an artist?
“Baji cha ey ehtafal hay ye dunia mere agay...shabo rooz hota hay tamasha mere agay...Ghista hay ye daria jabeen apna, kakh par mere agay...”
To put this in context, I look at this world as an onlooker – detached and watching the tamasha (spectacle) as it unfolds. My paintings are a celebration of life. I choose to live in my own world where I define my own rules and exist in nirvana where everything is perfect. It is in this state that I paint – devoted and obsessive. I hope my paintings display these emotions.

EGO: What drew you to the themes of religious tolerance featured in your latest exhibit?
I paint the philosophy I meditate upon. I use texts from Quran, Gita, Torah and others to represent the universality of their ideas. Religious intolerance arises from our ignorance about each other’s faith. My art simply says look into the mirror of your being. Know yourself to realize that your battles are unnecessary for when every religion speaks the same truth and everything ends in the same reality, all of this is just a tamasha (spectacle). Life is sacred. It is precious for it is an opportunity to touch the light of our existence. It is about universal truth.

EGO: What works and movements influence your personal style?
My paintings present a quest for perfection, which take impetus from this world without depicting its context. Over the past few years, the direction I have taken is to target an intelligent viewer who can think independently. They can interpret the colors, the presentation and the drama as they see them. I purposely leave a lot in my paintings that is open to interpretation.

EGO: Why did you choose to incorporate religious texts into your images?
My purpose is to engage the viewer and the engagement is achieved by the use of the texts. Once my painting is placed on somebody's wall, every human being will ask what the text means. I can guarantee that the curiosity will be aroused. As each painting is accompanied by a translation, the viewer is directed to this. It may spark a debate, conversation or perhaps just appreciation. The imagery is used to add to the mood, while the text is used to engage.

EGO: Does your background and sex play a part in how your art is perceived?
My ethnic background and gender are my strength as they allow me to push the barriers further and make my point undeterred. Frankly, I am not bothered by how the viewer perceives my art because of my background. The viewer may well have a totally different appreciation of my paintings and I am cool with that.

EGO: Your exhibit scheduled to show in Mumbai, India was recently cancelled due to fears of it sparking unrest. What messages does your art carry and how does it respond to the religious turbulence present in South Asia post 11/26?
The message of my art dispels misconceptions, which are based on hearsay rather than on knowledge. In this way, an attempt is made to create harmony and peaceful co-existence. After all, every religion says the same thing. The influence of living in London is that it teaches the beauty of tolerance. Its society allows respectful co-existence of all cultures. Shouldn’t the subcontinent learn from this as well? If the politicians do not display this maturity, should and will a mere artist nudge them into this direction? We live in hope.

EGO: What is the theme for your next exhibit?
The themes for my next exhibit are inspired by Picasso. In particular, his quote:

“Art is never chaste. It ought to be forbidden to ignorant innocents, never allowed into contact with those not sufficiently prepared. Yes, art is dangerous. Where it is chaste, it is not art.”

EGO: Where do you see South Asian art in the next 10 years?
As I do not believe in boundaries and we are all part of the global village, art cannot be restricted to a region.

Faiza Sheikh’s show “Forbidden Love” is exhibiting at the Black Rat Gallery in London on May 22, 2009.