Buy One, Get One, 2011

I have seen so many clothing tags for western brands on which is written “Made in Pakistan” or “Made in Sri Lanka,” or the name of some other developing country. This body of work emerged out of noticing these tags. I took this phenomenon from the business world and translated to the art world. On one level, the images (graphite drawings) I make are simply copies of famous artworks, but the inscriptions that I insert are equally important. The text tells a story of the pictures and their origins or influences. 

 

These images trace the history of foreign rule that marks this region and their influence over our art practices. I have carefully selected images to pose questions and highlight relationships between colonialism and neo-colonial period that defines the contemporary moment.