Auckland based multidisciplinary artist and textile practitioner, Areez Katki’s acclaimed textile-based art exhibition, titled ‘Bildungsroman’, is being exhibited at the famous Otago Museum, in North Dunedin, NZ from 11 January to 9 February, 2020. ‘Bildungsroman’ literally means a narrative dealing with one person’s formative years or spiritual education.

Bursting with colour and playfulness, his works of art weave the threads of his heritage together. The exhibition displays 29 new works by the Areez, developed over the past eight months while he was living and working in India. Borrowing from his mother’s 1970s stenography notebook, the works feature shorthand, along with patterns and images that speak his stories. In addition, the exhibition also displays numerous documentary elements from his – photographs, heirlooms, audio content, and journal entries – giving the viewers a deeper, layered experience.

The exhibition was recently named by the eminent ‘Art Collector’ magazine as one of the top 50 in Australasia. Craig Scott, Head of Exhibitions and Creative, said, “We are just so pleased to have this amazing exhibition in our city. Areez is one of New Zealand’s best contemporary, craft-based artists, and these pieces carry an incredible depth, communicating so much.”

In 2019, after a ten month-long residency based in Mumbai, India, Katki exhibited his premiere solo body of work, ‘Bildungsroman’. Traversing his genetic landscapes across Persia and his birthplace in India, the work was exhibited at Malcolm Smith Gallery in the East Auckland where Katki was raised. ‘Bildungsroman’ is currently touring to institutions across Aotearoa over 2019-2020.

Areez Katki draws from historic and social research, addressing his value for craft sensibilities through a research driven contemporary practice. With a background in Art History and an early childhood imbibed in the values of craft, Katki developed a practice based on instinctive responses to textile and fibre research. Culminating in richly contextualised bodies of work since 2015, Katki works have addressed social constructs of identity, spirituality and sexuality that have since been explored through various mediums including beaded tapestry weaving, embroidery, paint, sculpture and printmaking.

.

.

---

Courtesy: ParsiKhabar.com