Showing gratitude to one’s mentor through ‘Altered Reality’

The ArtChowk Gallery is hosting Ambreen Hameed’s solo art exhibition titled ‘Altered Reality’ until September 10. This new body of work highlights a sense of reinventing the self and serendipity, the gallery’s statement quotes the artist as saying.

“It is a representation of my attribution towards my respected mentor Dr Mohammad Alam, who not only nurtured my soul but also helped me discover my strengths, paved my way and ferried me out of all the chaos I was almost drowned in,” says Ambreen.

“These works of mine embody my way of showing gratitude to him while simultaneously paying homage to him and the eminence of his presence in my life. The expression epitomises the spirit of Kintsugi, meaning ‘golden repair’.”

Kintsugi, or the art of precious scars, is a 500-year-old Japanese method of repairing and transforming broken ceramic pottery with seams of gold into beautiful masterpieces. “This time [Kintsugi] somehow became my medium of expression, itemising the tale of my rebirth. The process itself gave me a chance to begin my exploration for the real crux of life.

“The work chronicles around my journey of learning, evolving and growing while concurrently enjoying the infusion of all these getting stirred within, the residue of which has begun to encapsulate and render my experiences of life.”