Performed at Laal Jadoo (Red Magic), Karachi, Pakistan, curated by Amin Gulgee
Corresponding Essay by the Artist
The first fundamental colour, red is the shade of love and war, of passion and power, of desire and danger. For centuries now, red has been the colour of marriage in the Indian subcontinent. Considered auspicious and pure, it stands as the traditional colour worn by brides, as a symbol of beauty, wealth, and a prosperous future.
In ceremony, a bride sitting on a stage in red, heavily worked attire and decadent jewelry is a display of these symbols. However, what they lack in their revelations is their duality; that with the hope of beauty, wealth and prosperity comes the burden of sacrifice of Self, in which case the color Red begins to symbolize pain.
As such the red bride on display becomes a contested sight, one that represents a false freedom. For my performance act I wanted to use this opportunity to demonstrate the embodied experience of this contested space – the space of in-between. A bride sits on a chair as if on a stage, adorned with jewellery and heavily worked red clothes. At first glance she seems at ease in her state, until she tries to get up from the chair but can’t because of the masked chains that tie her to it. Every few minutes she tries to get up but ultimately has to sit back down, unable to free herself from the heavy attire and chains that weigh her down.
I use stories of female experiences and spaces as a way of reframing the colonial gaze and subverting the male gaze. This act challenges the audience to shift perspective.