Sajid Wajid Shaikh is a Mumbai-based visual artist, and his work can be described as “the conjunction of the conscious and unconscious mind.” A freelance illustrator, he started his journey working in an advertising agency. He now owns his own studio called Forty Six and Two and is currently showcasing his work at the Gallery XXL, in Mumbai. The exhibition is a collaboration with Spanish artist Jofre Oliveras and is on till the end of this month. We sat down with Sajid to discuss his vision and creative process behind this groundbreaking new collection!
How would you classify your work?
My work is a commentary of sorts. It is a manifestation of self-reflection and is a mirror of my interior world. I draw from real-world situations to create pieces that are firmly rooted in the present. They do not look to the future for inspiration but remain instead, concretized portrayals of the present day. If I had to classify my work, I'd probably call it conscious art, as it captures a very distinct, real-world essence of my experience.
How did you develop your distinct style? Can you tell us about your artistic influences and inspirations?
My style has developed over the years, through a lot of personal exploration. I have managed to develop my unique aesthetic through prolonged explorations of styles and mediums. I utilize Instagram as a microsite to record my work and creative flow and focus more on the portfolio-building aspect of it instead of the number of likes and shares. It is a sort of digital diary for me. The formulation of the grid helps me come up with new patterns and ideas for my work.
My work is influenced by Iwewe, and artists like Zareena Hasmhi and Mc Usher. The more surrealist undertones of my work find their roots in the work of Strong Herbursen. A lot of my work contains a sense of internal dialogue, there is conflict in the mind that finds peace and resolution through a piece of work.
Your work seems to explore a variety of mediums and textures. Why tile? Why Parchment paper? Tell us a little more about that.
The medium of my work is informed directly by the message it wishes to convey. So for example, the parchment paper is reminiscent of the pamphlets that were dropped over Gaza. The title of this project is also called ‘pamphlets’ and if you take a closer look at the pieces in this collection, one notices that there is a more abstract form in this art and this goes on to formulate a tapestry of sorts.
Most of my work revolves around the current situation in Gaza, and the theme of ‘debris’ translates directly into the destruction of buildings and concretized structures in Gaza.
The idea thus translates well into the medium. Furthermore, utilizing materials that exist on opposing spectrums, either fragile or concrete, like the parchment paper versus the tile, creates a sense of conflict and dissonance and adds texture to the piece.
Your titles are provocative and engaging, but often cryptic. Can you tell us a little bit about your creative process?
The music that I used to listen to in my early teens has influenced a lot of my work! The bands Meshuggah and Tool has some great insights about the human condition. Themes of violence, aggression, and war also come up in these songs. There is an odd sense of universality and human connection when you find that your thoughts and ideas are mirrored by infamous song lyrics. When I revisited some of these lyrics in my later years I was surprised to note just how profound and prophetic a lot of them were. A lot of my titles are direct quotations from certain songs, that have touched me.
The use of arrows in your work is interesting. What made you choose this particular motif?
The arrow becomes an important figurehead for authoritarianism and escape. On see the same arrows in something as mundane as the instructions in a mall, telling us where to exit from. These symbols are so ingrained in us that we follow them without any question, and it puts us in a position of subordination.
The arrows are also representative of our societal conditioning and the information overload that formulates our identity. We are our biases, and we wear them on our sleeves. These become our weapons in a sense, defend these ideas with violence and force. The decisions that we make are influenced by our beliefs about the world, and these go on to influence our reality. The arrows represent our actions guided by these beliefs that may or may not result in a structure that is fair to all parties.
What binds all your work? What is the story that you are trying to tell?
I have given this a lot of thought, and I’ve concluded that the common thread that ties all my work is me. My work attempts to capture the intricacies of modern living through a personalized lens. My perspective shapes the narrative. I am the Witness and my work is the Evidence of our current state of ruin.
We live in a state of social ruin, borne of our own decisions. For example, social media started as a means to connect people, and we all jumped onto that bandwagon hoping to get a stronger sense of community. However, now with online trolls and the toxicity of the space, we have done the exact opposite, disconnecting people further from each other and reality. My work attempts to capture a sense of nostalgia for the future, a longing for a better tomorrow.
Words Aliya Anand
Date 26.06.2024