While working on the project, the artist thought about the social constructs that give root to the heinous crime of sex-selective abortion.
The maternity frock as the backdrop was used to symbolise the idea of fragmented pregnancy. The worn out maternity fabric further symbolises the fragmentation of the gestation period.
The artist has mapped out different stages of motherhood through the process of braiding. Braiding is a complex process of forming patterns by interlacing two or more strands of flexible material such as textile yarns, wire, or hair. The process of braiding depicts an arrival point of nurturing growth of the Girl Child, which also marks a testimonial of her existence. In this project however, the braid is playing the role of an umbilical cord which is fractured and unbound in places congesting the source of life.
The placement of the abortion manual text on the corners of the canvas is an attempt to visibilise what surrounds this conflicting landscape of existence, and what are the violent implications it possesses.
Kulsoom is an interdisciplinary artist, currently pursuing a Masters’ degree in Visual Arts. Her practice encompasses the themes of personal identity, gender roles, global migration and the idea of home.
