Saughandi in Naiza Khan's art work

*missed blog

Armour suit for Rani of Jhansi, 2008 Galvanised steel, feathers and leather 90 45 35 cm/ 35⅜ 17¾ 13¾in

Edition of 3 works

Feminized suits of armour appear as a current theme in Naiza Khan’s paintings. The following is a galvanized armour suit for Rani of Jhansi from the exhibition “The Skin She Wears”. This picture for me captures the essence of the character of Saughandi, the female prostitute in Hatak. This picture has several layers of complexity each adding a new meaning to piece which can be deciphered in relation to different contexts. I will interpret this image in relation to Saughandi. The stark juxtaposition of steel with feathers is telling. The use of steel as the material for the armour is noteworthy because it  at once symbolizes both strength and subjection; strength because of the material itself and subjection because of the confining nature of the garment. For Saughandi to be able to assume her role as a prostitute in the brothel the garment not only functions as a protective camouflage but also signals a shift in her role from a woman to a prostitute. Moreover, the pairing of soft feathers alongside steel captures her unbidden feminine desire to be loved as an equal and to be cared for by the men in her life.  At another level, if viewed in relation to a brothel, the portrait perhaps seems to suggest the ambiguous and problematic place of such conflicting desires in society.