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Inside Stephen Robert ’62 Hall, via the double doorways on Brook Street, passers-by are instantly immersed in Mahnoor Hussain’s new exhibition “Digitizing the Miniature: Mahnoor Hussain and the Spirit of Feminism.”
Hussain’s exhibition delves into the complicated themes of girls’s and reproductive well being. The 16 work, fastidiously curated by Nainvi Vora GS, a PhD candidate within the Department of History of Art and Architecture, supply an exploration of those points.
While the exhibit began as a private exploration of infertility, Hussain mentioned she realized she needed to share her story with the world after Roe v. Wade was overturned in June 2022.
Holly Shaffer, an assistant professor of historical past of artwork and structure, launched Vora and Hussain to at least one one other. Shaffer additionally helped choose the work in the course of the year-long curation course of, culminating in an exhibit she known as “powerful.”
When requested which was her favourite piece, Shaffer mentioned she couldn’t select — all of them stood out to her. She reiterated that the subjects Hussain explores, though “challenging,” “difficult” and “uncomfortable,” are topics that must be spoken about extra overtly, particularly in occasions when girls’s civil rights usually are not assured worldwide.
Hussain grew up in Pakistan, solely just lately shifting to Rhode Island. Her dad and mom, each trend designers, and her sister, a graphic designer, motivated her to discover her creative abilities throughout childhood, she mentioned.
“It’s the way I see the world. I really can’t imagine life without it,” Hussain mentioned.
Hussain attended artwork faculty in Pakistan and studied the Indo-Persian miniature model, an artwork kind that requires intensive preparation in addition to specialised instruments comparable to a squirrel-tailed brush.
Once within the United States, Hussain struggled to seek out the suitable supplies, so she used an iPad to digitize her work, she mentioned. This allowed her to mix a conventional model with a up to date focus — a theme that weaves all through her exhibit.
Cristina Kester ’26, a customer to the exhibit, mentioned she was particularly “struck” by the expressions of the ladies within the work, saying that they regarded “indignant” as they had been compelled into particular gender roles. Speaking about a number of items depicting pregnant girls, she interpreted their emotional shows as a resentment of their being pregnant.
Kester additionally talked about how gender norms “demonize” girls who can’t have youngsters and credited Hussain for bringing these points to the floor.
The curation course of was extremely detailed, in response to Hussain. Vora and Shaffer spent hours in Hussain’s residence, selecting items for use within the exhibition. The trio was in a position to bond over their womanhood, Hussain mentioned, which she thought added lots to the curation course of.
Hussain highlighted that it was fascinating to satisfy Vora, who’s from India, midway all over the world from their residence nations and nonetheless join round problems with femininity.
According to Vora, Hussain’s work goals to “break stereotypical boundaries of gender roles” and encourage feminine illustration within the male-dominated area of Indo-Persian miniature model.
Hussain mentioned she hopes her work “can draw more attention” to girls’s points, including that she appreciates when folks share their private interpretations of her work.
“I want the work to talk to them,” she mentioned. “It’s an insight of what my work can mean, and sometimes I don’t see it myself.”
The exhibit can be on show till May 31.
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Teddy Fisher is a contributing author to The Brown Daily Herald. He research International and Public Affairs and is enthusiastic about regulation, nationwide safety and sports activities. He enjoys enjoying basketball, working and studying in his free time.
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