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The South
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Rashid Rana By Niilofur Farrukh
In the last
two decades simultaneous critical acclaim and art market triumph has made
Lahore artist Rashid Rana a new archetype of success in the region. The list
of his institutional exhibitions spans much of the globe and the galleries’
keenness to dedicate solo booths to him at major art fairs, attest to a
growing confidence and interest in his art. Rana is very much an artist of his time who has
taken risks and never seen limitations as a handicap. In the mid-1990s by
looking at popular imagery and increasing the scale of his work, an
inspiration that came from Karachi Pop rather than the overwhelmingly
popular Neo Miniature around him, Rana set out to reach a greater audience.
This steered his work in an independent direction better suited to
conceptual exploration. While other artists were looking to galleries in the
West for shows, he hitched his star to the Indian gallery circuit and chose
a Mumbai gallery to represent him. A controversial decision but the outreach
of the Indian galleries not only opened doors to the international art
market but gave him the edge with the art market boom in the region. His
critical engagement in the art dialogue with Indian curators and critics led
to inclusion in their projects giving him a place in the larger discourse.
Remaining in his hometown and not giving it up for a diasporic existence,
has been pivotal as it is the energy of the Lahore streets that sustain his
practice as the critical chronicler.
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