Every artist or photographer will always capture the essence of an event that plays out before his/her eyes. The subjects will be caught expressing a thought or communicating an obvious idea to viewers. It requires extra perception, deeper sensitivity and intuition to capture the internal realms of a subject. Italian artist Maimouna Guerresi attempts exactly this.
Guerresi’s work focuses on the empowerment of women. Her video installations or photographs have a sense of intimacy as they highlight various facets of the relationship between women and society. Many of her exhibits make a specific reference to geographies where women have traditionally been marginalised.
Over 20 years, she has showcased her work in America, Europe and the Middle East. Her first exhibition Inner Space in India is a collaborative effort between Tod’s and Tasveer. What features here is a new body of work that reflects India and its culture.
“I am interested in exploring the infinite possibilities of feminine spirituality. Through my work, I try to interpret my visions and imagination in a way that relates to the real world. Mine is a mystic language, not a report or a chronicle; even though my subjects connect to themes such as religions and cultures,” says Guerresi.
As a Sufi, Guerresi looks to her own spiritual position for inspiration in her quest for all religious motifs and iconography. Hers is a showcase of a uniquely authentic expression of personal experience as well as cultural contexts, rich with references to universal myths, the sacred realm, and the female condition.
Silent, austere, veiled women featured in domestic scenes and individual poses become both metaphor and provocation. Her technique is delicate narrative and fluid sequencing interspersed with rational analyses.
Bottomline: The spiritual and the internal are superimposed on the body and the larger physical reality.
Inner Space
When:Tilll January 25
Where:Tasveer, Sua House, 26/1 Kasturba Cross Road, Bangalore.
