Asli Kahani
I haven’t seen Tulsi in a hot min but growing up my dad would always have these in his pocket (now it’s shahi). My sister was fostering the cutest kittens and named one of them GoGo and the other Tulsi. This collection started with inspiration from Pakistani snack staples. But while working I realized my roots are still as tangled as ever with unpacking narratives around love&intimacy. Memories and how I remember things change, and sometimes it’s hard to trust which version is real. But experiences are layered like that and honestly sometimes all of the versions are real.
Asli Kahani translates to real story - the true narrative. Khatti Meethi Yaadein is bitter sweet memories. & choti rani, what my dad has called me since I was a little kid, It means little Queen.
36” x 48” Acrylic
GoGo//NaJa
GoGo was the OG staple when I was younger (bc it’s all sweet& candied). As kids we would look for every last packet in the jar at dawats, our biggest worry in life being that we didn’t find enough and would have to share. A time where holding onto culture through shared experiences and family friends was enough. Where judgement didn’t seep into each of our individuality. As I work through concepts in this piece, I realize how far I am from the memories I reminisce. While the rewriting, “Na Ja, bas mere paas aja,” began speaking to my present day experiences, I soon realized it was also addressing a longing for the simplicity hard to recover from our youth.
“Na Ja” literally the opposite of Go Go - translates to ‘don’t go.’
“Bas mere paas aja” - translates to ‘just come to me’
36” x 48” Acrylic
Dekh Magar Pyaar Se
Shahi Deluxe is exactly that, deluxe. If I could taste the memories of Pakistan this would be it. The flavor lingers in your mouth and the freshness blankets you. My dad always finishes his box and then I give him some of mine. 1-2 packets in the purse always. I had to go back to this one and restart a few times. It was the painting that theoretically started the collection, but it wasn’t until I got through the GoGo and Tulsi pieces that I realized what I was really conceptualizing. That impermanence and control to change my past decisions, even if just on a painting, gave me so much peace.
Dekh magar pyaar se - a phrase commonly seen on Pakistani truck art - translates to “look, but with love.”
Mujhe humesha apne dil me Rakho (Urdu writing beneath) means keep me in your heart forever. &1023; day of my birth + constant in my life.
36” x 48” Acrylic
Home by Now
16” x 20” Acrylic