The Wounds Are Still Green
Ashwan Jamwal
In my works, I portray my native land and try to express its untold stories. It is a visual cumulation of my memories of the land and its current / changing social and political conditions. It is about the loss and ignored serenity of this place. Though popularly known as ‘Paradise on Earth’, the State has been transformed into a dreadful place that is now on the verge of destruction due to ongoing violence.
My visual language is an effort to portray paradox of this place: fresh, beautiful landscape against the backdrop of violence and conflict. Hence, the creative process includes uncovering the facts, emotions, and possibilities developed through research and field visits. It is then followed by informal interviews with local people who have closely experienced the consequences of increased violence, as well as those people who are not being able to live their lives freely. This direct interrogation unfolds the inner reality: a state of extreme grief, distrust and alienation, that is heart wrenching. This series of works is an attempt to put forth these complex emotions that I have gathered during my interactions with people and their feelings and experiences that have made an impression on my mind.
In my practice, exploration of material also plays a significant role. I have been experimenting with various mediums like acrylic, oils, inks, watercolour, graphics and paper mache. This particular series employs found objects and material like threads, wires and collages emphasizing their symbolic significance. Here, I have used the red thread, which is generally used in religious rituals. In my visuals, this thread is deformed, stiffened and moulded into the form of thorn fences and barbed wires reflecting the reality of the region.
