Hold On

Treated goatskin, hand-stitched, 183 x 66 x 107 cm
Not stuffed, metal rod armature - 0.8mm, 2008.

Hold On is a modified hollow cast of a Vespa motorcycle, which is one of the series of works made during my study in Lahore. The works from this time-frame are often characterized by hand-stitched hollow sculptures created by draping objects like chair, bikes, cars, and carts with the skin of animals such as fish, goat, buffalo, cow, donkey and horse. Some of these works also made references to method of transport used in Pakistan, in which animals like donkey, ox and horse are used to aid in manual labour.

The translation of outer layer and material of familiar items into strange creatures using natural mediums such as non-human animal skin could be an irony on the human need and their attitude towards non-human animal. The skin of non-human animal serves to infuse a sense of life in the objects that are normally built with hard materials such as wood, steel and plastic. The skin not only builds a relationship between organic and constructed materials but also generates a sad, neglected and vulnerable scenario of the subject matter. I attempted to metaphorically speak about social class and status, hardship and contradictions of life of both human and non-human animal in Pakistan through these works. 

Publications/Reviews

1. LIVE and LET LIVE, Creators of Tomorrow (FT4, 2009)
Exhibition Catalogues © Fukuoka Asian Art Museum
(Sajana Joshi's profile/work images: Page 48-49)

2. Sajana Joshi's Bio
Source: http://faam.city.fukuoka.lg.jp/FT/2009/en/artist/at08.html (Last Visited: 16.12.2016)