Lot 48: A Particular Suitable Place - 1

NUSRA LATIF QURESHI (B. 1973)
A Particular Suitable Place - 1
signed 'Nusra Latif Melbourne 2007' in English (on the reverse)
mixed media on illustration board
12 x 16 in. (29.5 x 39.6 cm.)
Executed in 2007

Gathering imagery and icons from Mughal, Pahari and Rajasthani miniatures, Qureshi ironically juxtaposes these traditional motifs with symbols of power and dominance, restructuring hierarchy of scale and composition to inject new meanings into the iconography. Qureshi still preserves the laborious traditional methods of preparing the pigments and paintbrushes although she abandoned traditional wasli paper for a coarser illustration board. Fascinated by the role of British colonialism in both destroying the Mughal empire and shaping the prevailing Pakistani culture, her works break down the imagery of power inherent in these systems and reorganizes it, challenging its telling of history.