{"id":24586,"date":"2022-07-16T15:32:00","date_gmt":"2022-07-16T15:32:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/test.somethinghaute.com\/osman-yusefzada-set-for-solo-show-at-the-victoria-and-albert-museum\/"},"modified":"2022-07-16T15:32:00","modified_gmt":"2022-07-16T15:32:00","slug":"osman-yusefzada-set-for-solo-show-at-the-victoria-and-albert-museum","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/test.somethinghaute.com\/?p=24586","title":{"rendered":"Osman Yousefzada set for solo show at the Victoria and Albert Museum"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Osman<\/strong><\/h4>\n

The July sun is beating down on Karachi, where Osman Yousefzada is producing part of the work for his upcoming exhibition. The British-Pakistani artist is dressed in a blue kurta<\/em>, a white straight pajama<\/em>, and black platform sandals. His speech is unhurried and peppered with pauses that are partly contemplative and partly due to exhaustion.<\/p>\n

For the past six months, Osman has been visiting Pakistan to work on the production of his artwork. In Karachi, he\u2019s been spending his days flitting between various workshops all over the city. From Karachi, he\u2019s been taking daytrips to Lahore. This is only part of the operation. There are also pieces being made in the United Kingdom and Venice. The work has come to a frenzied pace over the last few weeks as Osman\u2019s exhibition draws nearer. Now, on the eve of his departure from Pakistan, he is racing against time to ensure that the final pieces are ready and packed before his flight.<\/p>\n

The exhibition in question is titled What Is Seen, What Is Not <\/em>and is scheduled to open in a museum that is recognizable to even the most casual consumer of art: The Victoria and Albert. For Osman, this is only the latest recognition in an already celebrated career. The interdisciplinary artist has designed clothes worn by Lady Gaga, Beyonc\u00e9, and Taylor Swift, to name a few \u2013 but he\u2019s quick to correct when referred to as a fashion designer, a label he doesn\u2019t identify with.<\/p>\n

Osman\u2019s art has been shown across the world, in the United States, Italy, Belgium, Bangladesh, and all over the United Kingdom. He famously wrapped an Infinity Pattern<\/em> around the Selfridges in Birmingham, where he was brought up.<\/p>\n

\"Osman
Osman poses in front of his Infinity Pattern in Birmingham<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Osman\u2019s by-line has appeared in the Vogue, The New York Times, The Guardian<\/em>, and on the cover of his autobiographical novel The Go-Between<\/em>. A thinker by nature, Osman is also recognized as an academic. He holds degrees from Cambridge, Central St. Martins, and SOAS. As a visiting professor, he has taught students at the Birmingham School of Art and University of the Arts London, and is a research practitioner with an insatiable appetite for exploring the intersectionality of politics and culture.<\/p>\n

At the Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture (IVS), a faculty member remarks at Osman\u2019s seemingly inexhaustible reserves of energy. Over the past few weeks, IVS\u2019s textile department has been facilitating part of Osman\u2019s production process and has gotten a front-row seat to his process. He flies off to Lahore in the morning, is back in Karachi at night, is in Korangi the next morning, and at IVS by the afternoon. All the while, he is overseeing the production of his pieces, managing the procurement of necessary materials, and fitting in interviews with the press.<\/p>\n

During this interview, he is interrupted often. A voice note from an associate asking him whether he wants net in red or green, a phone call from another informing him they\u2019re at IVS\u2019s gate. Osman Yousefzada is clearly tired. Yet, there is not an ounce of resignation in him. Every phone call is answered with a cheerful greeting and every decision is tackled head-on.<\/p>\n

\"Osman
Osman has authored an autobiographical novel about his childhood in the United Kingdom<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It seems, then, that Osman\u2019s secret is a simple one. Some people work to the point of exhaustion, Osman works beyond it. He\u2019s driven by the kind of urgency that comes from critically engaging with the world, from being filled with observations and thoughts that demand expression. It\u2019s clear that his mind works in a sort of overdrive. He weaves between topics, speaking about spatial boundaries in one minute, talking about migration in the next, touching on climate change somewhere in between. His usually slow drawl speeds up when he latches onto a train of thought. He becomes more animated, talking without pause till he\u2019s managed to voice the entire length and breadth of an idea.<\/p>\n

Of spaces and boundaries<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Conceptually laden, Osman\u2019s work reflects his rich intellectual landscape. The Infinity Pattern<\/em> in Birmingham \u2013 an unbroken, tessellating pattern of pink and black shapes \u2013 represented a world without boundaries and the endless possibilities that arise from intersection. At the Lahore Biennale 2020, Osman famously constructed the inside of a grave. Surrounded by a black curtain, the installation offered viewers the chance to walk through the grave while contemplating themes of death and grief. Notably, the installation \u2013 titled No Exit <\/em>\u2013 enabled women to experience the grave in a way that they are not traditionally allowed to in Islamic burial rituals.<\/p>\n

In Osman\u2019s art, space is transformed from the site of an artwork to the medium itself. In 2018, Osman recreated his mother\u2019s room at the Ikon Gallery in Birmingham. Called A Migrant\u2019s Room of Her Own<\/em>, the installation was sparsely decorated with a bed, a dressing table, and a tall structure (presumably a cupboard) covered in black cloth. Placed throughout the room were various items, perpetually packed: a stack of cooking pots covered in plastic wrap, potlian <\/em>(bundles) of black plastic, and large checkered storage bags filled with unnamed items.<\/p>\n

\"Osman
In 2020, Osman wrapped his Infinity Pattern around the Selfridges in Birmingham<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When Osman took his mother to see the installation, the first thing she asked was who sleeps in the bed. The very question is evidence of the layers of meaning created by his work. \u201cI put this semblance her room in a white gallery space because I could. I had the privilege to do that, someone allowed me to. But she couldn\u2019t fathom that. It\u2019s still a functional piece of furniture so, for her, the question was why should there be a bed which doesn\u2019t have an owner when there are people in this world who are homeless.\u201d<\/p>\n

A Migrant\u2019s Room of Her Own <\/em>is emblematic of Osman\u2019s body of work in how it simultaneously manages to touch upon a variety of issues. There is the apparent theme of migration that is given away by the title. \u201cIt\u2019s this idea of codes, that you\u2019re more successful as an immigrant if you have a set of codes that is universal. You come from a space that is paraya <\/em>and ajnabi, <\/em>and you bring that space with you to a white society. You sort out your subsistence, find a means of income and roof to put over your head, and then you build a new space with elements of the Other space you\u2019re coming from,\u201d explains Osman.<\/p>\n

\"Osman
In 2018, Osman recreated his mother’s bedroom in an installation titled A Migrant’s Room of Her Own<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Born to Afghan-Pakistani parents, Osman is a first-generation immigrant who grew up in Birmingham in the 1980s. The city boasts a significant population of South Asian Muslims who maintain conservative social norms. Osman\u2019s sisters were not allowed to pursue an education, the women around him were purdah nasheen<\/em>, and there were strict spatial boundaries between the feminine and the masculine. Growing up, Osman observed how these traditions interacted with the customs of English society. He found himself drawn towards the world of the feminine, which he found to be softer and more expressive, running parallel to the world of men.<\/p>\n

It is these early observations of gendered segregation that sparked Osman\u2019s interest in spaces and boundaries. \u201cDespite being very segregated, women in South Asian migrant communities somehow cope. In fact, not only do they cope, but they also thrive. They created parallel economies, they stay together and help each other, and create deep bonds. So my work is about spaces, the spaces of men and the spaces of women. A child is not yet a sexualized being so as a child I was allowed to pass through these boundaries freely.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Osman
At the Lahore Biennale, Osman constructed a grave, inviting visitors to contemplate on the site of death and mourning<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Osman is fascinated with the subjectivity of space. \u201cIf you\u2019re looking at an object from one angle and I\u2019m looking at it from another, we see a world of difference,\u201d he muses. He is also interested in the many ways in which space and boundaries assert themselves. \u201cWomen had agency in certain rooms. Hence the potlian<\/em>, where they covered belongings and put them away. The packaging was a sign, a barrier. Someone had to untie that knot to be able to go inside the potli, <\/em>to find out what the woman had stored away. It was the woman\u2019s way of saying, \u2018This is my space, keep out of it,\u2019\u201d explains Osman.<\/p>\n

Even Osman\u2019s identity as an artist is an attempt to break down boundaries. He prefers to be called an interdisciplinary artist rather than a multidisciplinary one. \u201cIt\u2019s the same conversations across different media,\u201d he says, \u201cI\u2019m anti hyper specialization. I think anyone who\u2019s a culture producer should be more interdisciplinary. The intersections is where the interesting work is created when borders are broken down, because those borders are where the social injustice is.\u201d<\/p>\n

The art<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Visitors to What Is Seen, What Is Not <\/em>will be greeted with work that is as thematically rich as the rest of Osman\u2019s work. Commissioned by the British Council, in collaboration with the Victoria and Albert Museum and The Pakistan High Commission, the exhibition will be unveiled later this month. It is part of British Council\u2019s festival Pakistan\/UK: New Perspective<\/em>, which will celebrate Pakistan\u2019s 75th <\/sup>anniversary.<\/p>\n

What Is Seen, What Is Not <\/em>is a series of spatial interventions, with site-specific work displayed over three spaces in various mediums. Visitors will first encounter Osman\u2019s work as they enter the museum\u2019s Dome gallery. Here they will be greeted by a series of hanging tapestries. The banners will show figures in motion, appliqued onto backgrounds embellished with metallic thread, colorful dye, and other woven decoration. The figures will evoke the protection symbolized by talismanic symbols in the various cultures of the Indus Valley, such as the Priest King of Mohenjo-Daro. They will invite viewers to contemplate on South Asia\u2019s rich and complex cultural history.<\/p>\n

\"Osman
Osman works on one of the tapestries for his exhibition at the V&A<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cActually, I\u2019ve been doing those figures for several years now,\u201d explains Osman. \u201cAt first, they were very much from the Falnama<\/em>, they were inspired by the ghouls and demons in that text. In Pakistan, a couple of people pointed out that they look like figurines from Mohenjo-daro and I thought that was perfect. I\u2019ve been doing this stuff subconsciously and they\u2019ve ended up being reminiscent of Mohenjo-daro.\u201d<\/p>\n

From Mohenjo-daro, visitors will be led to the sculptures gallery where they will be greeted by an installation reminiscent of the makeshift shrines of Pakistan. A simple wooden structure, held together by rope, will display a series of potlian <\/em>cast in glass, clay, or woven in rich textiles. The packages will contain and have the appearance of containing everyday household items like cooking pots and vessels. This will evoke the theme of migration that seems to run like a thread through most of Osman\u2019s work.<\/p>\n

Much like a shrine, the structure will invite visitors to contemplate, specifically on the totem like objects it holds. They will be reminded of the ways in which migrants carry their most cherished possessions, as they travel from one place to another, displaced by sociopolitical and economic conditions. \u201cI actually wanted to package some of the objects in the museum and they wouldn\u2019t let me,\u201d laughs Osman, \u201cBecause there\u2019s this question of who owns what in museums and how artifacts get to these spaces.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Osman
Potlian (packages) of household items are a repeated motif in Osman’s work<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

From the \u2018shrine\u2019, visitors will be directed towards the John Madejeski Garden, which Osman will have transformed into a space for communal contemplation. Charpai <\/em>[beds] of various sizes will be placed in clusters across the grass, inviting visitors to sit together. Each charpai<\/em> will be made using different weaving techniques, reminding visitors of the diversity of Pakistan\u2019s textile heritage.<\/p>\n

Morah <\/em>stools will be stacked in a cubed arrangement, available for visitors to use. As more visitors will make use of the stools, the cubed arrangement may grow smaller and eventually wither away. Conversely, should they choose to, visitors my reposition them into new arrangements. Hence the stools will be constantly moved, repeatedly unpacked and packed into transitory and communal arrangements.<\/p>\n

The garden installation will be centered around a wooden boat, built at Ibrahim Hyderi and typical of the vessels used to navigate through coastal mangroves. The boat will be moored on land to symbolize the erosion of natural environments and the danger posed by climate change to for water-dependent communities. Above the boat will hang a banner on a wooden frame and adorned with emblems and objects typically found in Pakistan\u2019s shrines.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe mangrove boat was actually quite key to me, \u201csays Osman, \u201cI remember coming to Pakistan as a kid and the Indus River was massive. There are stories that before the dam wars, it was very much the boundary between Greater Persia and Greater India. My heart breaks over the water issue in Pakistan,\u201d says Osman, \u201cIt\u2019s a country that contributes to one per cent of global greenhouse emissions but ends up being the fifth most vulnerable country to climate change.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Osman
Osman Yusefzada oversees craftsmen working on his tapestires<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It\u2019s no wonder, then, that our artist is tired on this sweltering July afternoon on the eve of his departure from Pakistan. It\u2019s no small task to conceptualize and design work that spans over millennia of cultural history, weaving through layers of meaning while visiting multiple civilizations.<\/p>\n

Exceedingly modest, Osman is nonchalant about the magnitude of his own work. But even he can\u2019t deny the significance of this exhibition. \u201cIt\u2019s the first time that Pakistan, instead of being drowned in the conversation of South Asia, will be represented at the V&A and it\u2019s quite a big thing,\u201d he says, \u201cThere\u2019s a lot of meaning but, hopefully, the work is beautiful and it\u2019s aesthetically pleasing.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Osman\u2019s identity as an artist is an attempt to break down boundaries.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[63,216,214],"tags":[1240],"class_list":["post-24586","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-celebrity","category-fashion-style","category-featured","tag-osman-yusefzadavavictoria-and-albertwhat-is-seen-what-is-not"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.somethinghaute.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24586","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.somethinghaute.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.somethinghaute.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.somethinghaute.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.somethinghaute.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=24586"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/test.somethinghaute.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24586\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.somethinghaute.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=24586"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.somethinghaute.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=24586"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.somethinghaute.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=24586"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}