Anam Feerasta

I think of my paintings as deconstructed self-portraits. They explore oscillating feelings of fragmentation and alignment that are intimately tied to my identity and Pakistani upbringing - feelings that I believe are universal. Painted primarily in acrylic and oil paints, my work also examines the perpetual nature of the journey from fragmentation to alignment within oneself, which is synonymous with the journey to reclaim identity. 

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My work is inspired by collage, patterns, mythology, spirituality, family, and childhood memories of home. It depicts women’s bodies in abstract worlds to create spaces for women like myself to question self-knowledge, tell their stories and reclaim their identities. These floating bodies, which often appear disengaged, contorted, and incomplete, and the shadows they cast allude to fragmented identities and to the multiplicity of an identity resulting from gender-biased cultural expectations. My work challenges these longstanding expectations, seeking to celebrate and empower women who share in this struggle to reclaim identity.