Soft Restraint
Ruby Chishti, Giving End (detail), 2001, fabric and straw, 4 soft sculptures.
15 August - 3 September, 2006
G+ Galleries, 50 Gladstone Avenue, Toronto
Curated by Rashmi Varma
Opening Reception: Thursday, 17 August, 6-8pm
When a body is unable to move forward, in either a metaphorical or a true, physical sense, it can either persevere or perish. Such is the nature of restraint and great is the strength of those who can live in its relative captivity. The exhibition “Soft Restraint” pairs the sculptures of Ruby Chishti and Erin O’Hara. Both artists offer up bodies, specifically distressed, recycled bodies. The fabric is second-hand, the stitching is obvious and in O’Hara’s work, the proportions twisted and engrossed. Yet, dignity and beauty resonate in the sculptures’ appearance, plight and perseverance. These bodies reflect, without resignation, the restraints of everyday living, from gender subjugation and social indoctrination to the very limits of our physical selves and our impending death and potential rebirth.
-- Claire Eckert, Under pressure: the soft sculptures of Ruby Chishti and Erin O’Hara
Ruby Chishti holds a BFA from the National College of Arts, Lahore. Ms. Chishti was born the youngest of four daughters into a traditional family and as a result, her work is a response to the gender bias she encountered in Pakistan. Ruby’s inspiration for her installation also comes from her childhood experiences of doll making, and is primarily made from scrap materials. By transforming discarded cloth into form, Ms. Chishti has given life to figures of buffalos, crows, and humans.
Erin O’Hara holds a BFA from Queen’s University and is a textile based installation artist. Erin’s work focuses on what is ‘normal’. Her current works indirectly reflect what she heard and saw as she was growing up. She has exhibited her works in Toronto, London and Montreal. Erin also teaches a variety of art courses throughout Toronto and also produces a line of hand-painted vintage shoes called ‘Cute as Hell’.
Rashmi Varma is an interdisciplinary designer and artist with her own fashion label ‘rashmi varma.' Rashmi has been a key member of SAVAC since 1999.
