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Observing myths

‘Great Expectations’, the recently held solo show of Jehangir Jai in Mumbai articulates the socio-political, religio-cultural and existential dilemma of a gay artist from a community, which is referred as minority in the mainstream discourse, says Vrushali Dhage.

Jehangir Jani's solo, titled 'Great Expectations' was recently put up by the Guild Gallery, Mumbai at the Museum Art Gallery. The show once again highlighted his constantly altering artistic personality, in addressing his concerns.

A first glance at his recent body of paintings titled 'Redefinitions', one sees a male protagonist, emerging from the intensely coloured background, with colour dripping on the figure, one cannot detach the body and the background from each other. From a distance the body seems to standout as a central figure, but a closer look reveals that there are various motifs waiting to disclose their presence- butterflies, laboratory apparatus, a human head in profile, nerves, tools, etc. take their place, blurring the outline of the body. Further he adds words to his works. Here the script becomes a part of the paintings, a practice similar to Islamic painting style. In most of his works he addresses the issues of a sexual deviant. Being a gay artist belonging to a Muslim community, Jani focuses on the insecurities and the vulnerabilities of being in this position.

In 'Feast of Lambs' Jani shows four sheep eating from a single platter. They are fed on soil and salt. In this Jani highlights on the Muslin custom of slaughtering sheep during Bakri Id, a ritual in which the blood of the sheep must spill on the earth. The presence of salt marks hints at the pinch of salt with which the feast is begun and ended with. Sheep are fed on salt water before the slaughter. Here Jani mocks the idea of feeding the sheep (which could have otherwise been considered as a generous act), so as to slaughter them. Though a cruel act it is piously followed, and would be sacrilegious to condemn it. It is interesting to note how Jani swaps his personality from being a person belonging to a community and at the next moment plays a role of an alien who though a part of the same community is still an outsider.   Without scoffing and scorning these religious beliefs directly, he employs very subtle and moderate way to highlight these ironies.

Jani again address the vulnerability of being a sexual deviant in, 'Dilemma of P Two'. In this sculpture he employs the legend of the Noah's Ark.   As the legend goes, the unfit, impotent, or gays were not admitted on the Ark. In Dilemma Jani portrays a male sitting in a boat (without oars) with his body bending forward, with his hands held behind and his face resting on the floor. Surely not a pleasant posture as it clearly suggested helplessness and subjugation. Again questioning the notion of being 'fit' to be a part of society and 'in-acceptability'.   

In 'George and the Dragon', a near-life size sculpture of the sword fight between George painted golden and Dragon, green. Through this works Jani questions whether it is a battle between the two characters or a battle within all humans, between the two contrasting characters of oneself. 'I am fascinated by the working of myths and observing the way in which large number of populations structure their lives accepting them as absolute truth', says Jani. Commenting on 'George and the Dragon' he added, 'I see George Bush and Osama bin Laden becoming mythical monsters in the distant future.' (This sculpture was withdrawn from the display as it violated the norms of the gallery). One of the most sensitive works of the show was 'Great Expectations'. In this work a near-life size man, holds a newly born male child in his arms and an umbilical cord connects the two.  A dream of fathering a child, and at the same time retaining ones homosexual character. One cannot make a mistake of labeling these works as over-sentimental; as Jani takes up a larger role of sensitizing his viewer towards the concerns of the existing protagonists.