UMISAA scholar Ms. Sana Obaid presents De-War Wall, a multimedia exhibition at Open Source Gallery

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News Lahore, Pakistan - 2nd August 2017


SANA OBAID DE-WAR WALL a multimedia exhibition at Open Source Gallery

Sana Obaid presents دیوار | De-war | Wall, a multimedia exhibition at Open Source Gallery.

At a time when it is more important than ever to address the political and social significance of walls, travel and immigration, Sana Obaid will present دیوار | De-war | Wall at Open Source, an exhibition that explores borders and boundaries. دیوار | De-war | Wall will incorporate Obaid’s work with elements of life, such as her visa rejection letter, to create work that examines how she has not only been affected by metaphorical walls, but also political and social barriers that have prevented her movement and progress. As a work in progress, the exhibition will change throughout the month, transforming with the addition of video from Obaid’s performances in Pakistan, artist talks and volunteer-executed performances in Brooklyn.

In 2015, artist Sana Obaid submitted a proposal for a piece titled Making a Brick Wall during an open call for exhibitions. The proposal included a performance where the artist would create a wall around herself using fired bricks. Obaid described how, as a Pakistani woman, the society in which she lives has encouraged walls, limiting her experience of life. دیوار | De-war | Wall is an evolution of Obaid’s original proposal, exploring how walls can act as a metaphor, or even literal manifestation, for safety and comfort, yet block views of and interactions with our surroundings and our neighbors.

Obaid’s exhibition was scheduled for 2017. In late 2016, Open Source was notified that we had been awarded a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to support Obaid’s exhibit. In early 2017, Obaid began the process of applying for a visa to travel to the United States for the exhibition. In March 2017, Obaid’s daughter was born. In June 2017, Sana Obaid’s visa was denied.

Sana Obaid was trained as a miniaturist at the National College of Arts (Pakistan) and received her Masters in Art and Design at Beaconhouse National University (Pakistan). She has exhibited throughout Pakistan as spaces such as Alhamra Gallery, Art Scene Gallery, IVSAA Gallery and Chawkandi Gallery. She has also exhibited outside Pakistan in spaces such as Herbert Gallery (UK), Glynn Vivan Gallery (UK) and Annant Gallery (India).

This exhibition is supported by the National Endowment for the Arts.