As part of SARAI Gallery’s International KARAVAN PROJECTS showcasing works by regional contemporary talents, the exhibition launches the new series of oil paintings by Arif. It is a grounding yet deep foray into the nature of human existence, a meeting between man and his layers, an interior of the soul and a deeper encounter into the darkness that is found when one explores oneself. Even as we nod in acceptance of what we find on this journey, there is impending discomfort laced with anxiety and anguish in the answers. Is it then, the quest of self-discovery or the findings that plague us more? Zaam Arif’s solo, Cries and Whispers is a seminal exhibition that explores what occurs behind the guise of the all too glorified quest of the self, this body of work is intimate, hauntingly relatable, and vulnerable.
Arif’s raison d’etre in making the works for Cries and Whispers are synonymous with the idea that independent inquiry will result in one primal realisation: human isolation emerges from a deep and intense longing for acceptance and connection. The works explore the polarity of these extremes: intimate whispers in closed rooms, shared moments of despair, and in deep contrast, the all too haunting revelation of isolation, lonesome cries – these acceptances can be of any nature, while the learning of the self is almost always replete with uncomfortable fragile discoveries.
Through the series, Arif continues to follow his deep interest in the human psyche, investigating the human experience and using his art as a form of self-expression. Holding a cigarette, sitting idly, or staring into the darkness, his familiar-looking yet inscrutable characters are often young men clad in vernacular clothing and they appear-like near-self-portraits of the artist, himself a young immigrant from South Asia: they all appear to be staring at an unclear horizon, their hopes and dreams hanging in balance, going through the motions and examining their individual and collective identities as they follow an often harsh and uneven 'yellow brick road' towards their destiny.
About the artist
Zaam Arif (b. 1999). Originally from Pakistan, Arif resides and works in Houston, Texas. Arif's work was exclusively featured in The New Yorker magazine in 2021, making him the youngest Pakistani artist to be published in the prestigious magazine. In the same year, his work was selected to be exhibited in the Malamegi Lab Award and was awarded the Malamegi Lab Research Grant in Italy.
Arif has shown in both solo and group shows all over the world, where he has been critically acclaimed for showing new frontiers in the crossover of South Asian and Western culture, literature, and philosophy.
