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Osman Yousefzada’s exhibition: Timely exploration of displacement, integration, climate change
A three-part art exhibition crafted by British Pakistani artist Osman Yousefzada is running at the Victoria and Albert Museum in central London.
With one exception that refers to colonial buildings as spaces “divided according to race and class”, the descriptions about Yousefzada’s exhibition do not explicitly mention colonialism.
Instead, the artwork focuses on aspects of the Pakistani, and wider South Asian, identity that exist apart from and in spite of British colonialism which, much like in many British conversations, often remains an unspoken but known spectre hovering just below the surface.
The theme that stood out the most was of integration. The integration, or lack thereof, of the inhabitants who migrated from modern-day India to Pakistan during partition. The integration of traditional aspects of South Asia identity and history within the forming of a new Pakistani identity and the tension or compatibility between the two.
While the theme of colonialism was not often explicit, it is naturally difficult not to reflect on it. The V&A, named after the very monarch once declared the ‘Empress of India’ and her consort, seemed the most appropriate place in the UK for an installation depicting the themes of partition.
Education on the impact and aftermath of colonialism should strike at the heart of society and leave an indelible mark on our minds, just as this exhibition does.
After all, it was within the context of the British colonial powers intensifying the communal tensions and animosity through divide and rule, coupled with fears for the preservation of the Muslim community in an independent, Hindu-majority India, that the demand for a separate Muslim homeland within South Asia originated.
But, this exhibition reminds us that the Pakistani identity encapsulates so much more than this, with many of its aspects pre-dating or separate from what the British did in South Asia.
Three tapestries hang at one of the entrances to the museum. They depict figures described as “suggestive of ancient Talismanic figures, and storytelling,” inspired by a book called Falnama, which would later become the roots of tarot cards used in Mughal India among other places.
The figures are also said to reflect those found at Mohenjo Daro, an ancient Indus civilisation settlement situated in Sindh. The striking relevance of this piece to the overarching themes appears to be that it contains figures who have a “long history of struggle who do not see themselves as ‘the good immigrant.”
The tapestries are an important reminder of the rich history of the land of Pakistan. It stands at the crossroads between diverse civilisations, cultures and religions during many different stages of history: a crucial challenge to the colonial mindset that believed it ‘discovered’ places and brought ‘civilisation’ and ‘history’ with it. Instead, each pre-existing civilisation represents a thread woven into this larger tapestry that constitutes modern-day Pakistan, influencing folklore, language, dress and music.
Another work in this challenging exhibition is a sculpture that looks like a tall stack of shelves, on which are placed household objects wrapped in fabrics or plastic.
Described as an “altar to female migratory experience,” it is a “tribute to the hidden women who were not able to or did not possess the codes to integrate in new lands”.
Indeed, its positioning within the stairwell feels like a nod to the fact that the female voice has been sidelined, not occupying the central stage of our attention. But women had their own experiences of partition, most upsettingly the well-documented kidnappings and rapes in addition to upheaval.
But this sculpture, as an “act of agency in patriarchal spaces,” works to identify and remember those women. As the artist suggests, every unique fold and knot were “their marks of identity and ownership.”
The garden is home to a third part of the installation. To echo the fluidity of migration and change, the work consists of movable peerhi stools. In the centre are charpai beds made from salvaged fabrics and wood, the latter from what would have been pieces of colonial architecture which the artist describes as having been “dropped from vertical to horizontal axis, shifting the power dynamic from a hierarchical to communal architecture.”
This felt like a lesson, that something quite beautiful and familiar has been salvaged from the ugly, unequal power distribution of colonialism, which South Asians have dismantled and, from it, reformed and remade their traditional items that have a history apart from the British. This would certainly be an emotive act of defiance and reclaiming.
The remainder of this section consists of a wooden vessel placed not on the water but on dry land, designed to symbolise “colonial expansion and present-day climate precarity.”
While Pakistan has for decades been listed among the most vulnerable countries to climate change, this year’s heatwaves followed by extreme flooding hit home this point. A country that contributes relatively low carbon emissions is bearing the brunt of climate change, when former colonial powers, like the UK, have contributed more and yet suffer less. Displacement is not confined to the history books but a lived experience of today, with this year’s flooding causing migration, loss of life and the destruction of livelihoods. Unless swift action is taken by nations collaboratively to combat climate change, these experiences will become the new normal.
This exhibition plays a vital role in inspiring us to reflect upon the realities of displacement, integration and climate change by inhabiting our public spaces. It challenges the whitewashing of colonial narratives by providing an insight into the multifaceted traditions that thousands of years of history has fostered in the land that modern-day Pakistan inhabits today; traditions that not only pre-date British history in South Asia, but have survived it. And for all these reasons, Osman Yousefzada’s exhibition most certainly deserves a visit.
Running until September 25 at the Victoria & Albert Museum, Yousefzada’s artwork was commissioned by the British Council as part of its ‘Pakistan/UK: New Perspectives Season,’ in partnership with the Victoria & Albert Museum and the Pakistan High Commission. It has also been supported by the ZVM Rangoonwala Foundation.
Pakistan pacer Naseem Shah has finally revealed that it was not him, but his manager who responded to Indian model and actress Urvashi Rautela’s comment on Instagram, which has since become a hot topic for the rumour mills of both countries.
During a talk show on a private TV channel, the interviewer asked Naseem what the plans were regarding his upcoming tour to India for the ICC World Cup 2023.
Before he could even complete the question, Naseem responded: “My only plan is to play cricket. I have no other plans.”
The interviewer then asked if he had no plans to see Rautela, Naseem said he had none.
The purported social media interaction between the young pacer and Rautela has been one of the most interesting topics lately as Pakistanis want to know if there is actually something cooking between the two.
Naseem and the ex-pageant winner have been associated with each other due to a fan-made video, posted by the model after a Pakistan-India match in Asia Cup 2022. Naseem was playing in the match and Rautela was among the spectators.
The video showed the model smiling and blushing, and coincidentally, Shah was also recorded smiling during the same match — giving her the opportunity to juxtapose herself in the video.
Ever since the video came to light, Naseem Shah and Rautela’s relationship has been the talk of the town and this made the fans hunt for any interaction between the two on social media.
Months after posting the video, the Indian model and actress Urvashi Rautela was at it again.
She wished the pacer a “happy birthday” on Instagram as the cricketer turned 20 this year.
The ex-pageant winner commented on an Instagram post shared by Naseem congratulating his fellow teammate Shadab Khan on his wedding.
“Congratulations mere Chotay bhai @shadab0800 […]may Allah bless you both on this day with a lifetime of shared love and joy,” the cricketer had written in his caption adding “Best Wishes Always” for his colleague’s married life.
Deep down in the comments section was a birthday wish by Rautela for the young pacer alongside a congratulatory message for being conferred with an honorary Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) rank by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police.
“Happy birthday @inaseemshah congratulations on being conferred with honorary DSP rank,” she wrote in her comment.
To everyone’s surprise, the young cricketer responded to the model with a humble “thank you” followed by an emoji gesturing gratitude with both hands joined together.
However, during the interview, Naseem finally broke the silence on the matter and shared that it was not he that replied to the comment — but his manager.
He said that he doesn’t see his Instagram account much so he had told his manager to respond if he received any birthday wishes.
“I didn’t know that he [manager] would write thank you to just anyone,” the young cricketer said smilingly.
When prompted to tell if he likes Rautela or not, Naseem said that he loves all the people.
“Everyone is a human, everyone is good and I like all humans, but I don’t take anything personally,” he said.
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