The word “stray” derives from multiple origins. It borrows partly from Old French (estraier) but was also formed within the older lexicon of English through words like estree (street) or estraier (to roam).
To stray then is to roam, wander or digress. Figuratively that may entail taking the road less travelled by deviating from the standard, conventional path. The experience of straying can involve feeling distraught or it can be read as an act of defiance and dissent where one strays from the mainstream path to revel in an unlikely journey of self-discovery. To stray then is also to exist in a state where one is unfettered and emancipated from doubt, fear or consequences.
“Stray” brings together the works of three contemporary Pakistani artists—Aamir Habib, Ayaz Jokhio, and Rabeya Jalil, who embody this spirit of defiance and explore the body as a psychic battleground for the wandering Self. Ayaz Jokhio’s works challenge the art-historical “framing” of subject matter and form by questioning historical omissions. Aamir Habib’s reliefs capture the energy, dynamism and psychic power of human expression. Rabeya Jalil’s faux-naive, fragmented forms teeter between raw, instinctual gesture and anatomical exploration of hybrid bodies. The works featured in this exhibition place the artist in the role of a provocateur who imagines the margins as a space where works must stray from accepted norms. To confront social and political tensions the body and its subject matter must navigate the space between becoming and belonging.
