Love Games – Istri Series
Carved Mahogany, gouache and tea on wasli, clear acrylic
9.5x6x8.5 inches
2007-2013
Available
A sensitive sculptor based in Seattle, Humaira Abid plays with everyday mundane objects altering them into fine art pieces. Working in wood, Abid pushes at the boundaries of what wood can do, going against the grain and staging its natural hues, developing a body of work that expresses her relationships and their after effects. She translates her personal experiences in carved sculptures, altering the material to such an extent that it changes the way it is looked at, making emotions tactile and speaking for themselves.
Abid has also incorporated the use of miniature paintings with her previous works; in her Istri Series (Istri is a word used for smoothing iron as well as woman/wife in South Asia). She carved smoothing irons and covered the hot surface with her paintings. She has extensively explored the roles of men and women in the society and her personal experience of achieving motherhood.
“I continue to explore themes from women’s lives that are rarely openly acknowledged in the world of fine art – miscarriage, family, relationships, and freedom”.
Abid is recipient of two grants this year and developing a body of work for a museum show and a solo. The series will create a surreal world of wood and painting, combined to convey layers of message enhancing the viewer’s experience through an unconventional installation.
Abid graduated from National College of Arts and has participated in various local and international exhibitions. Her works are included in the permanent collections of various Museums. She is currently based in Seattle, but constantly globe-trotting, exhibiting extensively.
Photo Credits | Adeel Ahmed