Journalism of Courage
Behold Lasi Sufis canvases,each of which contain a magical world. Born to an Iranian father and Turkish mother,Sufi spent her early life shuttling between both countries,and eventually wound up in India. Exhibiting her works under the title Divine Intervention at Malaka Spice,Sufi says painting canvases was an instinctive progression from graphic designing,in which she has a bachelors degree.
I have worked as a graphic designer and illustrator for seven years. And the only experience I had in the field of painting was doing murals in Iran and Turkey, says Sufi,who is pursuing a masters degree in fine arts in the city. I always painted as a hobby but had never thought about taking it up professionally. But now Im treading that path consciously, she says.
Sufis paintings can also be seen as a comment on social conditioning,illustrated best by her story of initiation into this particular subject she has been handling. There was this brief period of time when I was teaching children to paint,and after spending copious amount of time with them,I got an insight into their psychology, says Sufi,adding Their creative processes were spontaneous and their ideas would flow uninhibited from their minds onto their canvas. Sufi then poses a rhetorical question,Why is it that children,as they mature,lose their power of free flowing creativity? This is one of
the questions she seeks to address in her paintings.
The focal point in most of her paintings is a woman. The greatest restrictions are imposed on the minds of women, she says. She reflects particularly on the conditions in Iran. Women there cannot play sports or participate in the Olympics even if they have the talent; such basic opportunities arent granted to them. And it is not only Iran,women across the world suffer from inequality and discrimination in varying proportions.
Sufi uses the theme of one of her paintings to elucidate her works. I have used the symbol of a lotus,which is often viewed as a symbol of freedom and purity despite growing in muddy water. The woman has been shown as the queen of nature,who has created the world,and co-exits with all form of life harmoniously, says Sufi. She avoids indigenous symbols and uses universal themes instead to be able to communicate with everyone. I also paint simply,so that children can connect with my works,because it is them who need to understand the idea Im trying to propagate, she says.
(Lasi Sufi’s exhibition Divine Intervention at Malaka Spice,Koregaon Park,till October 18)
