The Root of the Root, 24" x 18"

Oil on Plexiglass.

24 x 18 x 0.25 inches. This painting comes with standoffs for installation.

"This painting alludes to the spiritual energy that binds all beings together in an intricate web of relationships. In a state of complete alignment of the self, we may be able to unlock this energy and feel it for ourselves.

This is an ongoing series of paintings on plexiglass that explores the perpetual nature of the journey from fragmentation to alignment of the self through a feminist lens. Inspired by my Pakistani upbringing, childhood memories of home, collage, mythology and spirituality, this series seeks to capture in essence and in experience, the internal push and pull that is reclaiming identity. Vulnerable, floating bodies and the shadows they cast allude to fragmented identities, and to the multiplicity of an identity resulting from feelings of fragmentation.

This series is a homage to the sheer resilience and emotional strength of women. It seeks to celebrate and empower those who share in this eternal struggle to reclaim identity, to feel whole and free."

Anam Feerasta is a Pakistani-Canadian artist based in Toronto. She works primarily with acrylic and oil paints on canvas and plexiglass. Anam explores oscillating feelings of fragmentation and alignment that are intimately tied to her identity and Pakistani upbringing - feelings that she believes are universal. Anam depicts women’s vulnerable bodies in abstract worlds to create spaces for women like herself to question self-knowledge, share their stories, and reclaim their identities. These bodies allude to fragmented identities and to the multiplicity of an identity resulting from unresolved feelings and gender-biased expectations. Anam’s practice is inspired by collage, patterns, mythology, spirituality, family, and childhood memories of home.