Shaheer Ahmed
Two Pakistani women named Ayessha Quraishi and Marium Agha have unlocked another milestone for the country as they have been shortlisted for South Asia’s biggest art prize, The 2022 Sovereign Asian Art Prize.
The talented artists were selected from over 400 entries. The finalists hail from 16 countries and regions across Asia-Pacific, of which Hong Kong has the strongest representation, followed by China, Iran, Singapore, and Vietnam.
The two finalists are Marium Agha aged 42 and Ayessha Quraishi aged 52. The two artists are exceptional in their own unique way. Ayessha, works in a way natural to her since childhood, her process appearing like braille. Physically, she maintains constant contact with two materials: the surface and the paint. Ayessha’s hands perform two roles simultaneously, the right applying colour to the surface while the left removes it with a turpentine-soaked rag. This series of repeated hand gestures and motions results in a visceral language of sequential mark marking.
Shedding light on her art, Marium shared, “Created using found tapestries from a Karachi flea market, Agha has deconstructed the fabric and altered the weave to create a new narrative. Each thread is then meticulously carved into the existing surface with an “ari” (embroidery needle).”
According to Quraishi, just as the day rests in the lap of night and its volumed emptiness, our perceptions, varnished by the light of consciousness, come to rest not in conclusions but imaginings of what life could be.”
Undoubtedly, such achievements send a positive image regarding Pakistan to the world. The country is filled with immense talent and it is also globally appreciated.
