“Some people journal, I draw” says interdisciplinary artist and illustrator Adan Shaikh. As an Asian woman, Adan uses her own stories to navigate themes of displacement, women’s narratives and socio-political topics.
Beyond the thematic, Adan weaves personal elements into the making of her work. She often references the surroundings of her hometown and uses Pakistani elements of folklore and popular culture in her illustrations and animations. “Whether it’s the Paper Market or the Urdu Bazaar, there are heavily male-dominated spaces. You barely see women in those spaces, because of the way the cities are constructed and the way they are planned”.
Despite receiving international recognition from the art community in places such as University College London, Adan’s work retains the personal touch from which it originates. She recognises that while her work does come from her individual experiences, “The sense of alienation, to feel like you don’t belong somewhere, can happen to anybody, from any demographic, from any gender, from any social background.”
What further sets Adan apart and adds to the wide applicability of her work is the balance it maintains through her unique use of satirical criticism, which offsets the complexity of her core themes and messages.
Her bold color choices are in stark contrast to the monochrome perspective that reflects her navigation of a male-dominated environment.
“City On The Move” underscores the lack of safe public spaces for women in male-dominated urban areas. Through illustrations, it depicts the daily struggles Pakistani women face navigating the city and examines how different genders and demographics experience urban life, revealing how freedom for some may feel limiting for others.
A quintessential setting is presented, which examines how the roles of a city’s inhabitants can influence movement and interactions within it, even the smallest of conversations such as ‘small talk’ or ‘Gup Shup’
Sinking Into The Void
Navigating the city of Karachi, the aspect of daily living and the attempt to create a space for oneself
“Through art, we have so much power to translate how people feel. I want to convey women’s emotions and fears of being alienated from spaces, and I hope my art can be their voice”
“I have this way of talking about difficult things, or having difficult conversations through a hint of satire. Because sometimes it becomes much more easier to get attention of the audience, and relay something that someone might ignore”
“We (women) have so many obstacles to consider while just walking in the city. So, I want to challenge those norms and stereotypes, be it through new media art or through animation.”
The satirical nature of her art thus acts as a vessel for her own experiences and the wider social messages she hopes to convey on the further consideration for women’s needs in urban planning.
“In many of my series there are photographs, which I blurred out. It was a conscious decision because my surroundings were all blurred out. My surroundings were all black and white.”
While Adan’s art does present these larger themes in order to bring about cultural and social change, her work is also a personal reflection that is meant to be felt by all. ‘Sometimes my artworks simply capture the transient nature of fleeting moments and the human instinct to seek comfort in unfamiliar surroundings’. It is this quality of unique holism that makes Adan’s art a universal pleasure, for women everywhere.House Of Dreams:
Art illustration by Adan Shiekh ’s exploring the multifaceted roles South Asian women navigate within a patriarchal society. Windows act as portals, offering glimpses into the individual woman’s stories, and dreams, which are often overshadowed by societal expectation.
