Siraat

Siraat presents a deconstruction of astrolabes found in museum collections across the globe. There is a particular focus on the structural form and geometry of astrolabes produced by 4 generations of a family based in the 17th century Mughal workshops of the walled city of Lahore, Pakistan. This reference becomes a point of literal and conceptual departure, relating to the artist’s Pakistani heritage and themes of post-colonial transit of objects and persons.

The rete, the top-most plate features biomorphic motifs inspired by plant-life, entwining like vines to convey the many journeys traversed by beings above and below, on land, sea and in the skies.

Also present is a stereographic projection of the skies above Southampton, returning the visitor to their present space and the immediate, ongoing, timeline in which they are situated.

A further plate is engraved with snippets in Urdu presenting raw emotions, dark and light humour through the migration stories of the artist’s parents.

Finally, there is the mater (Latin for mother, ‘Umm’ in Arabic). Coupled with its decorative hanging (known as a throne), this completes the structure as a seat to hold all components together.

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Siraat is a site-specific installation commissioned for Manifesting The Unseen 2021: Southampton, Southampton City Art Gallery until October 2021