I Speak You Here Me Therefore We Are

“I speak you here me therefore we are” is a group show that opened at Studio Seven on 14th October, 2017. Curated by Manizhe Ali, the show consisted of artists Roohi Ahmed, Paul Mehdi Rizvi, Naila Mahmood, Nasra Omar, Haider Ali Jan and Ali Khan displaying works in a wide range of media.

Manizhe Ali emphasizes the importance of the act of speaking. Speaking is an action that demands a reaction. This reaction can be simply the act of hearing or the act of responding with words. When a person speaks they are urging to be heard whether by themselves, another person or a community says Ali. This leads to the formation of a more complex idea of social grouping.

The artists in the show respond to the idea of speaking and being heard. Ali khan who is an interior designer by profession investigates the intellection of the human brain as a result of the impact of human interaction. Working with found objects he uses materials that have and visual and auditory properties integrating them with the human head to create alternate forms of visuals.

Haider Ali Jan explores popular culture images with painting, animation and projection to redefine their meaning highlighting how the symbolic power of these images can be altered allowing images to shape our understandings and memory. For Jan the use of words and images are equally effective. Both are able to convey meaning and communication as successfully. For this show Jan layers his photographs with digitally made drawings, selecting what to hide and what to reveal in the original photograph creating a new meaning of the found images. The drawings he adds on top of the found images are flatly rendered turning the imagery into a fictional story.

Paul Mehdi uses mixed media that includes poetry and words and sound and visual elements that allow him to create an event. His work urges the viewer to understand a complex notion of the written word and visual imagery. Mehdi uses various material on his canvas allowing different viewers to associate different experiences with what they see.

Roohi Ahmed’s digital prints on canvas that almost look like paintings are an indication of the constant change in life that we humans experience and the continuous inceptions that we cross along the way. Naila Mahmood and Nara Omar use mixed media on digital print using Faiz Ahmed Faiz’s poetry to explain the work.