The Mystic, the Bowl and Spirit
The Mystic, the Bowl and Spirit is a project that makes creative icons interact from across borders who would not otherwise be brought into conversation. The concept is to gather the spiritual energies of icons from America; Nina Simone, Miles Davis, and South Asia; Noor Jehan, Amrita Sher-Gil, and Saadat Hasan Manto to recreate a fictional futuristic representation of them. Although, like Simone and Davis, in the 1950s, Noor Jehan enchanted South Asians with her sound, there is seldom any knowledge of the impact of South Asian creatives worldwide. Even more rare, are cross-cultural projections of desi “brown” and black artists.
Using photographs, I admire and meditate on the lives of these icons with my models. The work does this by bringing South Asian and American creatives from the twentieth century into an ambiguous time. The models embody the spirit of the iconic painter, writer, and performer through wardrobe and jewelry. In doing so, they’re asked to project how they feel their character would respond to today’s world. This aspect highlights that an icon doesn’t only earn their esteem by their talent but by the timeless impact their existence has. Whether it’s Nina Simone’s activism for the rights of black Americans or Manto’s writings about the rights of women and marginalized communities; the icon becomes relevant through setting an example that people from all places can learn from.
In this body of work, these people are referred to as icons because they not only expressed their artistic voice well but broke through the confines of relevance. Iconography takes a new meaning with this project because we see it shift from reverence of religious or political figures to holding dear a creative. These icons remain eternally impactful, and their ripple of impact leaves a trail of work that, through being sincere, is useful for generations to follow from across objective borders.
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About Sowaibah
I find it hard to ignore the rhythm of life, which to me is the spirit, existence, and the present emotional state of mind. I grew up in Brooklyn, NY after I moved to the States at age 8 from my birth city, Faisalabad, in Pakistan. Displacement as a child made me never fully grasp what a sense of belonging is. Taking trips to Pakistan after five or eight years felt like time travel. Each time I went back and forth, the rhythm of life in both places changed.
While growing up in New York City, the value I found common between this city and Faisalabad, was that people were undaunted and lived with soul. I realized that belonging is an emotional bond with all spaces that, for better or worse, stays indefinitely. The ripple effect of actions is evident in the spiritual connection that existence shares.
My work explores the spirit's sense of belonging in the subjectively civilized world. I show this through qualities of intimacy, personhood, sartorial, architectural, and linguistic history. The relationship objectivity has with expression allows us to study the spirit/soul which makes all life possible.
The current body of work is inspired by troves of film photos that many South Asian families kept in the early 90s. The tug I feel with the absurdity and creativity of life makes my photography mutant in its field.
Presented by BKC & ASMP NY, The Bridge is a groundbreaking 16-week mentorship program for 18-26 year old emerging photographers and creative artists. To learn more about The Bridge, CLICK HERE.