Process and content often overlap and complement each other, but are by no means exhaustive in the explanation of artistic practice. I place greater importance upon why art is made. Content informs the medium and process, and I respond to the requirement of the concept with my choice of the process.

I see myself as an artist working in mixed media. My interest in working with textile processes is due to the many social issues inherent in the Fiber field. My works are created using processes that are associated with textile arts, like screen printing, wax, organic resists and embroidery. The sense of history and residual memory through the addition of wax, coffee or tea stains, adds to the depth of meaning of the waxed surfaces. The embroidery is used as a drawing medium, connecting and bridging the gaps of the many layers that result from my explorations of concept and process. The results have allowed my artwork to be more conceptually ambiguous.

My artwork is made up of series of drawings that relate and connect through basic concepts of social and gender based issues. The task of remembering and recreating history is painful due to the agonizing act of uncovering and recovering that which has been stolen or forcibly taken away. The act of exposing memories when made in reference to gender complexities brings out strong emotional responses. I find it fascinating to see an imprint of an image left behind on paper, before and after the manipulation of dyes, wax and embroidery. I am intrigued by the frail and ephemeral reminders of things of the recent or distant past encompassing impressions of tradition, culture and mores. The juxtaposition of near and distant, past and present, feminine and masculine are a clear indication to me that all of life is entwined.

Embroidery embodies essential femaleness of women. The push of the needle and the pull of the thread together present a marker of domestic identity for women. The manipulation of paper by incorporating a needle piercing the surface can elicit either a painful or joyous response. I want the embroidery to be viewed both as a humane action that helps in rejuvenating old scars and also of being destructive in its very act of penetrating the surface. The subversive role of embroidery is fundamental in providing a complex scenario which is open ended to viewer participation.

The emotional connection to the repetitive task of embroidery in connection with the other textile processes generates therapeutic and healing qualities suggesting an expectation of change in the current perception of gender roles. I want my work to suggest that the stereotypical perceptions of men and women's roles need new evaluation.

      —Anila Quayyum Agha

Anila Quayyum Agha Bio    •    About This Show