Untitled (Figure)

Lots 503 and 504 come from the collection of Nasreen Mohamedi’s sister Saleha Rahim and her husband Mohammad. Lot 503, an early watercolor that still bears representational markers, and lot 504, a later abstract study in ink, testify to the evolution of the artist's visual vocabulary and creative process from the 1960s to the 1970s. The freedom Mohamedi enjoyed as an artist and her independence of spirit were a direct result of the strong support she received from her family throughout her life. Raised among many siblings, who later lived across different continents, the family would stay strongly connected, encouraging each other to develop their own path, no matter what society dictated. For Mohamedi, this support was decisive and helped her carry on despite the distance and her fragile health. In a letter addressed to Saleha, affectionally nicknamed ‘Mamoo’, Mohamedi reports, “I feel a strong conviction and confidence in the direction I am taking. You are constantly in my thoughts and that gives me a still greater courage. I wish you were here. Mumm, I can repeat this a million times and it will be not enough that you have given me so much and you are still giving! With this I can go on” (Artist statement, Letter to Saleha Rahim, 1971).