BUFFALOS IN COMBAT, 2008

Hamra Abbas - Islamabad, Pakistan

Sculpture

Buffalos in Combat directly references a 16th C Mughal miniature painting depicting a pair of buffalo with horns locked in battle. The subject matter of this painting was popular during the reign of the Emperor Akbar (1556-1605), where artists took great pride in depicting vibrant and naturalistic scenes of courtly sports. Abbas renders this scene in life-size sculptural form, exploring the spectacle of death under state sponsored systems of violence. Abbas uses historical images as a means to comment on the normalization of violence in the contemporary world, reflecting on state sanctioned terror and its relationship to underworld violence.

www.hamraabbas.com

Parental guidance advised

Thank you to:
Green Cardamon, London