Any visitor stepping into the first-floor hall of Pepper House at Fort Kochi would be immediately struck by the installation placed in the middle. Shaped like a huge barrel, with pieces of fluffy cloth surrounding the structure, it looks like snowflakes, but is actually a fishing net. Other materials used include floaters, translucent fabric and fishing hooks. Within the installation, there is a boat in multi-coloured sheaves of cloth.
High up, the ceiling has blue lights that give a feeling of tranquility and apprehension at the same time. The 30’ x 10’ installation is called ‘Trapped, not defeated’. “This is the symbol of my own psyche,” says Kashmiri artist Insha Manzoor, the creator of this work. “I feel trapped by the memories, and conflicts, which are taking place in Kashmir.”
Asked why she tied the net in knots, Insha says, “When we go to sacred places in India, people tie knots with thread and fabrics on the windows of the holy structure. My mother also used to put a knot in her saree. It is a symbolic sign of wishes that have not been fulfilled. So, the knot is a symbol of hope as well as pain.”
As people gaze at the work, soft meditative music can be heard on the sound system. Soon, the clear voice of Insha can be heard reciting a poem:
There’s a light that shines in the darkness.
There’s a destiny waiting at the end of the road.
There’s meaning in the middle of this emptiness.
There’s a reason you’ve been asked to carry this heavy load.
“This is written by American poet Justin Farley,” says Insha, who also recited a few lines from great Persian poet Rumi’s book of poems, Masnavi 1.
Insha did not have to go far to seek inspiration for her work. Serving a one-month residency given by the Kochi Muziris Biennale, Insha would come to her studio on the first floor of Pepper House. When she gazed out of the window every morning and evening, she would see the fishermen do their work in small boats in the backwaters. “It made me feel nostalgic as I remembered the shikaras (houseboats) in Dal Lake, Srinagar. Boats, for me, are a metaphor about the journey of life,” she says.
Even as the 26-year-old is adept at making installations, Insha also works in mixed media, acrylic, fabric, textiles, threads, and beads. She also makes videos on different subjects. “My themes reveal a desire for hope and a world without conflict,” says Insha, who has done a four-year course in Fine Arts from the Institute of Music and Fine Arts, Jammu University, and a two-year Master’s of Fine Arts (Painting) from Visva-Bharati University, Santiniketan.
“It was while staying there I came across many international artists and their works,” says
Insha. “It was an eye-opener for me.” Insha is currently doing a double-master’s degree in painting from the Royal College of Art, London. She got entry to the college by availing of a career development loan from JK Bank and a grant of `20 lakh from the Kashmir government.
Insha has been a precocious talent. At 13, Insha, who is originally from Mattan in Anantnag district, held her first exhibition. She has held numerous solo and group exhibitions so far.Meanwhile, at Kochi, when she would tell people that she is from Kashmir, their eyes would widen in wonder. “They asked me about the problems that the people are facing there. It was heartening that many showed empathy for our difficulties.”