Talwar Gallery is delighted to present a group of rare installations from 1993 by Rummana Hussain in her first solo gallery exhibition in the United States. In the wake of events of December 1992 in Ayodhya (India), the artistic practice of Rummana took a dramatic shift, awakening in her an urgent and a persistent questioning of the situation and the self. The works on view mark the pivotal point which altered the direction of her work, evolving her language and medium to address burgeoning concerns both public and private. Emp... Read more

Talwar Gallery is delighted to present a group of rare installations from 1993 by Rummana Hussain in her first solo gallery exhibition in the United States.

In the wake of events of December 1992 in Ayodhya (India), the artistic practice of Rummana took a dramatic shift, awakening in her an urgent and a persistent questioning of the situation and the self. The works on view mark the pivotal point which altered the direction of her work, evolving her language and medium to address burgeoning concerns both public and private. Employing simple everyday materials the works are powerful expressions of the communal dislocation of the time and embark the artist for further impassioned explorations, ensuing at times in poignant revelations of self.

Cracked, split domes and crumbled earth, reminiscent of a fractured edifice; assemblage of shattered terra cotta pots lay scattered and exposed: the female body deconstructed, undone. The works on view are evocative of a shrine where the remnants of broken earthenware laid on mirrors urge a solemn reflection. A sense of loss permeates the space as fragments appear excavated relics of the past. While these installations were created almost two decades ago, the violence and intolerance they allude to still resonates today, more widespread and forceful.

Rummana Hussain’s works have been on view at various institutions around the world including at Tate Modern, London; Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane; Art Gallery of Western Australia, Perth; Asia Society, New York; Museum of Contemporary Art, Monterrey, Mexico and Rose Art Museum, Waltham, MA. In 1998 Rummana was Artist in Residence at Art in General, New York.

Rummana Hussain was born in 1952 and passed away in 1999 in Mumbai, India.

For further information please visit talwargallery.com or call the gallery at 212-673-3096.

The Estate of Rummana Hussain is represented by Talwar Gallery.