My Mother Told Me, I Must Have ‘32’ Fine Pearls In My Mouth
Video Projection
2013
Available
Ghufrana Naqvi’s interest in the still/moving image is what directs her to create and construct narratives. The mundane, everyday narrative that we become used to are put together again within a frame, separating it from the environment around it. Breaking down and reassembling film structure gives expression to unusual worlds.
The angles in Naqvi’s videos are carefully constructed for a voyeuristic approach. The environment (gallery space), viewer and the film collectively make the narrative. The works often draw the viewer into an uncertain world where truth and imagination come into conflict. Ordinary things are raised into an alienated world.
Naqvi is also interested in creating an alternative vocabulary through these fragmented narratives. Her practice relies very heavily upon the common experiences and she aims to reconstruct them through the imagery that she captures and the narration and humour used in the work.
In her series of small books (2012) Naqvi combined photographs (taken from daily life) with folk tales titles in two-page books. The result was humourous and sweet commentary on the contemporary Socio-political scenario in Pakistan.
Naqvi’s video projection My mother told me, I must have ‘32’ Fine Pearls in my Mouthcaptures the whole process of ‘Root canal’ in a specific way (camera angles, sequence of putting frames together, mood of whole video). Here Naqvi raises the question of human contact, personal space vs public space, applied intentions and the power of a narrator.
Ghufrana Naqvi lives and works in Lahore. Her BFA is from Multan College of Arts, 2011 and MA (Hons) is from the National College of Arts, Lahore where she now works as visiting lecturer.
Photo Credits | Ghufrana Naqvi