Dual Identities I, 24" x 24"

Acrylic and Oil on Panels.

24 x 24 x 1.5 inches. 

"Part of a series titled 'Embodied Fragmentation', this painting explores aspects of fragmentation and disembodiment in the context of my identity and Pakistani upbringing. This painting seeks to capture the push and pull that is reclaiming identity through a feminist lens. It speaks to the duality we face as fragmented identities in search of alignment, navigating a space where courage is fleeting and fear dictates who we are."

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.