Jovita Alvares
The Self Portrait / experimentation before the creation of ‘The Act
Graduating with a Bachelors in Fine Art from the Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture, Jovita Alvares, received a distinction in thesis, overall distinction and consequently the title of Valedictorian of the class of 2016. She has received numerous awards including the Imran Mir Art Prize, for upcoming artists. As a visual artist, she has had multiple group shows in Pakistan, as well as abroad. She participated in her first solo exhibition, ‘Wallflower’ at the Imran Mir gallery, which was a culmination of the award, and was part of the Sanat Initiative Artist Residency. Alvares maintains a rigorous studio practice alongside her roles as Art Instructor and Writer.
Can you tell us a bit about the process of making your work?
I like to observe... Everything. I make it a point to walk everyday and notice the world around me no matter how seemingly mundane. I have noticed, over the years that this is how the thought process for any of my works begin... From life. Something I have seen days or even months before unexpectedly creeps into my practice, taking center stage, usually as an object nuanced with multiple meanings. After that, each work is informed by in depth research, which in turn also leads me to my medium of execution.
Tell us more about your work in the show.
An exploration of Konkani and English text through the use of Konkani lyrics and their English translations. These are found lyrics from famous songs of India and it was this exploration that led to the video work ‘Our Anthem.’
When the pandemic struck last year, I was unable to walk outside and observe. I felt lost for a long time, until I began looking at myself as the object of observation. 2020 became a time of great introspection for me as a person and an artist. Factors that shape identity became an area of interest for me.
‘The Act’ explores how one’s identity is shaped through the performance of daily life, how one is conformed to carry out tasks and actions in order to appear ‘normal’ in society. It brings into question this idea of performance and whether is truly does halt when no one is looking. Or are we strung into a loop of performativity. If so, what then is true reality? What is true identity?
‘Our Anthem’ came about through an ongoing research of a small community in Pakistan, the Goan Christians, of which I connect my lineage. This ethnic minority community has a unique history that has not well been preserved, and I have been slowly collecting and documenting the community through firsthand narratives. The community began when Christians from Goa, India, began travelling to Pakistan during the years surrounding Partition. The work is suggestive of themes of Post Colonialism and Globalization and its ongoing effects, one of which is Homogenization. Through this video work, the foreign language (Konkani- the language of Goa) is bastardized through the computer-generated English pronunciations. The work is satirical as it is a reinvention of one of Goa’s most famous songs, a song revered even by the Pakistani Goans, though the imagery used tell of an eerie history.
What are some references you draw upon in your work? Are there any themes in particular that you like to focus on when creating?
Like I mentioned, I often start each work because of a simple observation made in the past. So my work has always started out simply, whether it was following strays dogs with a camera, photographing bougainvillea plants, or even just exploring language. However, now looking back at my general practice I realized that though my themes slowly shift with each body of work, the underlying theme of working with subject matter that is marginalized by society has been a constant for me. I suppose as someone who has grown up as both an ethnic minority and a female, I find personal connections with those who are sidelined.
Where are some of your favorite spaces that support contemporary art or design? Now that the art has an online presence, has that changed?
The Karachi art scene for me is a quite an enjoyable experience. With a number of galleries and art spaces that are exhibiting new works fortnightly, it becomes a wonderful space to continue engaging with the diversity of art present in Pakistan. As a result one, is always emerged within the contemporary art scene when in Karachi. A positive aspect that came from the pandemic was the idea of online exhibitions. I believe this has not only allowed for a stronger intermingling between international artists, but it is also slowly changing the way we look at art and the medium with which to produce it. For me as well, the idea of life online has encouraged me to explore new media technology and marry it to my ideas and traditional skill.
Still from a video sculpture which explores the creation of the self through both the two dimensionality of new media and the three dimensionality of its sculptural form.
Who are some of your favorite artists? Or who has been inspirational recently?
An artist that has always left me in awe is Olafur Eliasson. His practice always stretches and defies the boundaries between art and life. His recent installation ‘Life’, which was the complete transformation of a museum space, is something that speaks to a global necessity of the time.
Glenn Ligon, an American conceptual artist, has become a recent inspiration to me. The multiplicity of his seemingly simple text based practice has opened new avenues for me to think about identity, race and language.
Do you have any shows coming up? Anything else you would like to share?
I believe that my latest art trajectory that has stemmed from introspection brought on by the pandemic, is going to be my most challenging and experimental work yet. As someone who has always looked out, looking within has forced to me to become personal and vulnerable with my audience, and I am excited to see where this will continue to take me.
Jovita Alvares’s work is included in our show “Time Wont Tell,” November 3rd - December 30th, 2021. Visit her website here or her Instagram @afrojojo93