The artist who puts faith in fabric

It is is a latex bodycast 2020 not an opinion piece and yet somehow the subdued Sarah Naqvi latex costumemdashwith the artistrsquos own nipple indents and armpit hairmdashquestions the very nature of resistance for a queer person whose existence is a continuous act of defiance againstnormativityThe bodycast is part of the larger ensemble cast created in 2020 including Aatein a textile wood and glass puppet the UmmeLeila an embroidery and textile lampshade the Arawelo textile silicone and paint and a felt costume with wood carved hands and quilted head called UntitledFace Impression 2022 is an impression on a makeup wipe of Sarah Naqvirsquos makeup applied for a drag performance where they played a role that satirised a privileged old white man unhappy with the current state of the worldThe artist calls them ldquopropsrdquo which were part of a collaborative film How Does One Say Queen in Islam ldquoI created them based on different but important mythical figures in Islamic history I worked on different materials and objects depending on availability itrsquos important for me to use found and discarded materialsrdquo Naqvi explains via video call from their Mumbai homeThe artist has roots in Aligarh but grew up in the suburbs of Mumbai which they call home Dressed in an oversized black shirt in orangered painterly print their shorn haircut pretty much frames the focus on the neck tattoomdashinspired by Kasuti folk embroiderymdash flanked by two storks kissing and two tiger claws Nose studs and delicate nose rings hanging between their nostrils establish a seamless dialogue with traditional Maharashtrian multidrop ear ornamentsBlanket of Solidarity quilt on satinThere are few young artists as materially and conceptually inventive as Naqvi 26 who is nonbinary and uses theythem pronouns Their first solo show titled how many songs from a single note currently on view at Tarq Colaba till November 19 is conceptualised by the artist with curatorial advisor Shaunak Mahbubani ldquoShaunak came up with the title which I think represents my visual language and how I keep working on the same topics relentlessly and like to include poetics in my work I find humour and catharsis in writing songs and singingrdquo Naqvi addsLike the artistrsquos notes on poems the 25 works on display juxtapose multivalence of seemingly unalike materials like gastronomical essays textiles drawings paintings sculptures and performance videos to create talismanic resonance and strength They speak to issues of identitybased injustice in the current sociopolitical landscape juxtaposing dissent with tenderness of family care and healing seen in the domestic layout of the exhibitionUmmeLeila embroidery and textile lampshadeFor instance the Blanket of Solidarity 2020 is a quilt in satin handmade by Naqvi during the antiCAA The Citizenship Amendment Act and NRC National Register of Citizens protests that rocked India in 20192020 ldquoItrsquos a work thatrsquos close to me and also has a very important hold over our understanding of who Muslim women are and what they can do how they provide for us fight for us and on behalf of us without expecting acknowledgmentrdquoThe blanket holds emotional narratives hiding metaphors of warmth and comfort during cold dark winters between its folds ldquoThatrsquos what Muslim women signify for merdquoUntitled latex bodycasthuman hairThe quilt of dissent from Shaheen Bagh a Delhi neighbourhood which became the hub of resistance during the nationwide anti CAANRC protests is derived from an image of one of the female protestors photographed by Ali Monis Naqvi This work ultimately connects the political with the personal Naqvi stitched the blanket during their residency programme at De Ateliers in Amsterdam ldquoIt was a partpublic performance with friends bringing me tea and spending time with me while I worked on the blanketrdquo they say Naqvirsquos art is more than the object itself It addresses the enduring nature of human interconnectedness it touches on its participation and community aspect It celebrates queerness both explicit and tacit Naqvi presents a kaleidoscope of the myriad ways in which sexuality and gender can be experienced and expressed ldquoBut I donrsquot think I have to constantly address my queerness The mere existence of trans bodies is political and poignantrdquo they explain ldquoI am who I am and that in itself is an assertion of my identityrdquoNaqvirsquos relationship with materials is rooted in their adolescence of ldquoan artinclined child who dabbled with paints and pencils while also destroying and making thingsrdquo ldquoBecause I didnrsquot come from a background where people pursued art I was directed toward textiles and NID National Institute of DesignrdquoAlthough they didnrsquot pursue textiles in a traditional sense NIDrsquos rigorous way of working with material taught them patience and commitment to tactile materials ldquoYou really have to pursue tactile materials with love and kindness Textiles have incredible history meaning and depth attached to them and therersquos always something new to discover which works for the stories I want to tellrdquo Naqvi says They agree that textiles like art have been governed by that tyrannical poltergeistmdashthe binary ldquoThere is always this idea of the gendered medium ingrained by men regarding what feminine or masculine art ishellip but thatrsquos one part of history What is its future Itrsquos for us to not assign binaries to literal material objectsrdquoThis mentality tends to not only record textile histories as feminine but also as an act of domesticity which Naqvi reasons is not such a bad thing ldquoI admit that I used to think along those lines too about textiles and fabric art at the start of my career but now I say who caresrdquo the artist laughsSome of the incredible textile works India sees Naqvi asserts have been made by mothers grandmothers in the confines of a domestic space ldquoBut not everything is meant for the public eye and thatrsquos okay Sometimes itrsquos for families passed down generations as keepsakesrdquo Family as a support system is important for Naqvi not just their own but also their found family in Amsterdam where they spend part of the year ldquoI think the more Irsquove grown into myself and immersed myself into my queerness and my queer and trans family I appreciate what family means in terms of both queer and trans and my ownrdquoDoes it feel like a doubleedged swordmdashof making art and questioning it too ldquoIt is our responsibility as artists who have cultural capital and are privileged to have a voice to try and challenge what this country our home has come to Even if it doing this is scary and has repercussions If we donrsquot take on that role the next generation will have a lot to be upset aboutrdquo