Restore the Boundaries I

Naiza Khan, embarked on a series of painting, drawing and sculpture titled The clothes she wears that began as a strategy to explore the emotional content of the body through the prism of outward attire. According to the artist, "Lingerie, chastity belts, straight jackets and other objects play the stage. The cloths locate the body more explicitly and what it confronts between personal and political spaces. They also create multiple identities or personae. The armour pieces began with drawings of lingerie and specifically a 'bullet proof vest' that called to be made in metal rather than drawn. These objects find a place between armour and lingerie, between war and love, and are ambiguous in their position of aggression and seduction. Alongside this, imaginary landscapes have emerged, that center on the idea of a wall that is now becoming a well."
The drawings within this series of works were conceived during visits to the Manora Island off the coast of Karachi, which can be approached by boat through a graveyard of ships and fishing trawlers. "Manora has a history as a defense fort facing the Arabian Sea. This island has various sites such as the Shri Varun Dev Mandir at the edge of the sea, the Talpur Fort and an old lighthouse. The space here is completely different from the urban metropolis of Karachi and it seems to give shape and space to many of my ideas." (Naiza Khan, artist statement, November 2007)