“Azaadi”是纽约艺术家兼设计师Misha Japanwala设计的雕塑服装系列。“Azaadi”融合了时尚和艺术，是对巴基斯坦女性力量和勇气的致敬。
这位伦敦出生的艺术家和设计师在巴基斯坦的伊斯兰堡长大，之后搬到了纽约。过去一年，她一直在纽约为自己的大学论文设计一个系列。在她为“Azaadi”进行研究的后期，Japanwala前往巴基斯坦，在那里她花时间与家庭暴力的受害者谈论他们的经历。在这次感人的旅行结束后，她回到纽约，完成了《阿扎迪》(Azaadi)，将与她交谈的女性的故事融入了这个系列。其结果是一个亲密的选择雕塑服装，织物和石膏照亮了女性的身体。艺术家创作了自己裸体的灰色石膏模型，象征着盔甲的盾牌;这是对上述女性的一种保护。这些手模取自Japanwala采访过的女性，将她们身体的一部分和她的结合起来。
她的艺术家宣言解释了作为一名女性在巴基斯坦不稳定经历的理解之旅:“我想用自己身体的模型作为容器，来突出那些敢于为自己的生活而奋斗的女性的力量，”她解释道。“此外，在巴基斯坦，作为一名直言不讳的女性所带来的脆弱性”。Azaadi在乌尔都语中是“自由”的意思，它是Japanwala表达自己和许多人生活经历的一种引人注目的方式。
‘Azaadi’ is the collection of sculpted garments created by New York-based artist and designer Misha Japanwala. Fusing fashion and art, ‘Azaadi’ is an homage to the strength and bravery of the women of Pakistan.
The London-born artist and designer grew up in Islamabad, Pakistan, before relocating to New York, where she has spent the past year working on a collection for her university thesis. In the later processes of her research for ‘Azaadi’, Japanwala traveled to Pakistan where she spent time speaking to victims of domestic violence about their experiences. Returning to New York after this affecting trip, she completed ‘Azaadi’, imbuing the collection with the stories of the women she spoke to. The result is an intimate selection of sculpted garments that illuminate the female body in both fabric and plaster. The artist created grey plaster molds of her own nude body to symbolize shields of armor; a metaphor for the protection of said women. The hand molds are taken from the women Japanwala spoke to, bringing together parts of their bodies with hers.
Her artist statement explains the journey of understanding the precarious experience of being a woman in Pakistan: “I wanted to use casts of my own body as vessels to highlight the strength of the women who weren’t afraid to fight to live on their own terms”, she explains. “[And] also, the fragility that comes with being an outspoken woman in Pakistan”. Azaadi, which means ‘freedom’ in Urdu, is a compelling way for Japanwala to express both herself and the lived experience of many.
Author: Misha Japanwala
Project: Azaadi
Photography: © Alec Lesser & Teagan West