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LIKE SHARES SUBSCRIBE

Past exhibition
14 - 28 July 2024
  • Works

LIKE SHARE SUBSCRIBE explores contemporary art in the era of influencers. When social media is the dominant form of visual culture, how can art practices respond and intervene within this moment? In diasporas or emerging regions, where social media overwhelmingly overpowers other forms of visual expression, how can artists respond to the cultural climate without replicating its aesthetics? The artists in this exhibition confront these questions, finding new forms of pop art and painting in the process. More importantly, these artists resist the descent of culture into kitsch.

The first section of LIKE SHARE SUBSCRIBE explores figurative painting practices that push forward the depiction of people in this current visual landscape. By challenging and reimagining the aesthetics of the digital age, these painters provide new ways of imagining the human form. Featured artists: Ahsan Javaid, Ahsan Memon, Komail Aijazuddin, Shivy Galtere, Tarini Sethi.

The second section of LIKE SHARE SUBSCRIBE specifically examines materiality in an era of digital culture, looking at textile, street art, and mixed media practices that celebrate permanence and physicality in a climate of ephemera. These works engage in larger conversations about influencers and wider popular culture, specifically in South Asia and the diaspora. Through their unique use of materials, these artists speak to a moment where diaspora culture is increasingly defined by social media. Featured artists: Maria Qamar, Navinder Nangla, Preetika Rajgariah, Viraj Khanna.


EXHIBITION NOTE:

Many conversations about diasporic culture start with our lack of representation. "I never saw anyone like me on TV," has gone from insight to cliche, an entry-level access point into the realm of marginality. But the grievance still rings true and creator culture promised a solution.

If so many of our ills were rooted in lack of visibility, then content was the cure. The word "representation," used to have various political and aesthetic definitions; these all collapsed into a much more appealing (and more importantly, marketable) proposition.

For the South Asian diaspora, digital media and influencer culture filled a vacuum that other mediums, even while making strides, couldn't outpace. Self-generated content in all its forms became the dominant mode of pop culture for the diaspora. This has done incredible work for the visibility of South Asian people globally, but that visibility comes with challenges.

Defined by platforms that reward replicability and targeted appeal, diasporas receive a limited framework for cultural success. Creator mediums primarily depend on advertising algorithms, and it soon becomes difficult to differentiate self-expression from salesmanship. When marketing no longer serves culture, but becomes the culture itself, relatability and familiarity become aesthetic ideals. Innovation and risk-taking fall out of favor. Cliche risks being elevated to insight.

This exhibition contends with diasporic art in an era of content, responding to a moment where influence is synonymous with sensibility. Working across genres, from pop art to more formal modes of portraiture, the artists in Like Share Subscribe speak to this climate while reimagining, questioning, and challenging its popular aesthetics. These works take on a new notion of the "popular" in popular culture, finding new forms of permanence in a landscape defined by ephemera and trends.
  • Ahsan Javaid, Suitable boys, 2024
    Ahsan Javaid
    Suitable boys, 2024
    Oil on canvas
    52 x 59 inches
  • Ahsan Javaid, Secret meeting, 2024
    Ahsan Javaid
    Secret meeting, 2024
    Oil on canvas
    27 x 36 inches
  • Ahsan Memon, Dusk II, 2024
    Ahsan Memon
    Dusk II, 2024
    Oil on canvas
    48 x 48 in
  • Ahsan Memon, Hallowed II, 2024
    Ahsan Memon
    Hallowed II, 2024
    Oil on canvas
    48 x 48 in
  • Komail Aijazuddin, He preferred hanging out with girls , 2024
    Komail Aijazuddin
    He preferred hanging out with girls , 2024
    Oil on canvas
    16 x 20 in
  • Komail Aijazuddin, He loved a stage , 2024
    Komail Aijazuddin
    He loved a stage , 2024
    Oil on canvas
    16 x 20 in
  • Komail Aijazuddin, He envied their shoes, 2024
    Komail Aijazuddin
    He envied their shoes, 2024
    Oil on canvas
    16 x 20 in
  • Komail Aijazuddin, He yawned at classical music, 2024
    Komail Aijazuddin
    He yawned at classical music, 2024
    Oil on canvas
    11 x 14 in
  • Komail Aijazuddin, He loved seeing them dress up, 2024
    Komail Aijazuddin
    He loved seeing them dress up, 2024
    Oil on canvas
    11 x 14 in
  • Komail Aijazuddin, Cher, 2024
    Komail Aijazuddin
    Cher, 2024
    Oil on canvas
    16 x 20 in
  • Komail Aijazuddin, Madonna, 2024
    Komail Aijazuddin
    Madonna, 2024
    Oil on canvas
    16 x 20 in
  • Komail Aijazuddin, Britney, bitch., 2024
    Komail Aijazuddin
    Britney, bitch., 2024
    Oil on canvas
    16 x 20 in
  • Shivy Galtere, Namaste
    Shivy Galtere
    Namaste
    Oil on Canvas
    62 x 70 inches
  • Shivy Galtere, Love to Hate, But Love to Buy, 2024
    Shivy Galtere
    Love to Hate, But Love to Buy, 2024
    Oil on Canvas
    20 x 16 inches
  • Shivy Galtere, Spiritual Altar, 2024
    Shivy Galtere
    Spiritual Altar, 2024
    Oil on Canvas
    20 x 20 inches
  • Tarini Sethi, Speaking With The Same Tongue, 2024
    Tarini Sethi
    Speaking With The Same Tongue, 2024
    Acrylic on Linen
    44 x 65.5 in
  • Maria Qamar, ...QUIT BEING A DARPOK!!, 2024
    Maria Qamar
    ...QUIT BEING A DARPOK!!, 2024
    8 x 8 in
  • Navinder Nangla, GOOCHI
    Navinder Nangla
    GOOCHI
    Spray paint on canvas
    24 x 32 in
  • Navinder Nangla, MAISON MARJELLAH
    Navinder Nangla
    MAISON MARJELLAH
    Spray paint on canvas
    24 x 32 in
  • Navinder Nangla, YO G YAMAMOTOE
    Navinder Nangla
    YO G YAMAMOTOE
    Spray paint on canvas
    24 x 32 in
  • Navinder Nangla, ALIXANDAH MCKWEEN
    Navinder Nangla
    ALIXANDAH MCKWEEN
    Spray paint on canvas
    24 x 32 in
  • Navinder Nangla, VIVIENNE WESTWOULD
    Navinder Nangla
    VIVIENNE WESTWOULD
    Spray paint on canvas
    24 x 32 in
  • Navinder Nangla, JAWN PAUL GOAT TIER
    Navinder Nangla
    JAWN PAUL GOAT TIER
    Spray paint on canvas
    24 x 32 in
  • Navinder Nangla, LOO-WEE VU-TON
    Navinder Nangla
    LOO-WEE VU-TON
    Spray paint on canvas
    24 x 32 in
  • Navinder Nangla, GIVENSHE
    Navinder Nangla
    GIVENSHE
    Spray paint on canvas
    24 x 32 in
  • Navinder Nangla, YOU’VE SAINT LAUREN
    Navinder Nangla
    YOU’VE SAINT LAUREN
    Spray paint on canvas
    24 x 32 in
  • Preetika Rajgariah, behind my blouse, behind my veil, 2023
    Preetika Rajgariah
    behind my blouse, behind my veil, 2023
    yoga mat, acrylic, latex, mother’s sari
    34" x 48"
  • Preetika Rajgariah, keeping the door open, 2023
    Preetika Rajgariah
    keeping the door open, 2023
    yoga mats, acrylic, latex, vintage saris
    68" x 24"
  • Preetika Rajgariah, a memento, decorated on my forehead, 2023
    Preetika Rajgariah
    a memento, decorated on my forehead, 2023
    yoga mats, acrylic, latex, market saris
    48.5” x 24”
  • Viraj Khanna, Swiped left on you!, 2024
    Viraj Khanna
    Swiped left on you!, 2024
    Embroidery on Cotton
    26 ½ X 35 ¾ in
  • Viraj Khanna, You fill up my emptiness :), 2024
    Viraj Khanna
    You fill up my emptiness :), 2024
    Embroidery on Cotton
    34 ½ X 27 in
  • Viraj Khanna, Cannot eat without Papad, 2024
    Viraj Khanna
    Cannot eat without Papad, 2024
    Embroidery on Cotton
    34 X 25 ½ in
  • Viraj Khanna, I want noodles!, 2024
    Viraj Khanna
    I want noodles!, 2024
    Embroidery on Cotton
    34 ½ X 25 ½ in
  • Viraj Khanna, Listen to your teachers, 2024
    Viraj Khanna
    Listen to your teachers, 2024
    French Knot on Cotton
    25 ½ x 34 ½ in
  • Viraj Khanna, Dal Makhani is my favourite , 2024
    Viraj Khanna
    Dal Makhani is my favourite , 2024
    Embroidery on Cotton
    35 ½ x 34 ½ in

  • Viraj Khanna, An hour into the Blind Date, 2024
    Viraj Khanna
    An hour into the Blind Date, 2024
    French Knot on Cotton
    34 x 28 in

  • Viraj Khanna, Swiped right on you!, 2024
    Viraj Khanna
    Swiped right on you!, 2024
    Embroidery on Cotton
    26 ½ x 35 ½ in
  • Viraj Khanna, I cannot find my stuff after you tried to organise my room ! Mom !! , 2024
    Viraj Khanna
    I cannot find my stuff after you tried to organise my room ! Mom !! , 2024
    Embroidery on Cotton
    34 ½ x 26 in

  • Viraj Khanna, Tree of Life, 2024
    Viraj Khanna
    Tree of Life, 2024
    Embroidery on Cotton
    51 x 61 in

AHSAN JAVAID
(b. 1992) graduated in Fine Arts (Painting) from National College of Arts, Lahore in 2015. Within this very year, Ahsan’s work got selected for ‘India art award 2016’ and he participated in ‘FIRST KBT-OPP Artists Residency’ and ‘Climate Change and Art – A Practitioner’s Retreat’ art residency in swat. He also attended ‘Capacity Building and Knowledge Transfer on Preventive Preservation and Basic Conservation of Art in Pakistan’ in the same year. He is a resident artist at studio RM and teaches drawing as well. Ahsan has also been awarded with Arjumand Painting award 2021. He has been exhibiting his work in various shows with in the country. Javaid lives and works in Lahore, Pakistan.


AHSAN MEMON (b. 1989) is a highly accomplished art practitioner from Lahore, Pakistan. He completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree from the esteemed National College of Arts, Lahore, where he received the distinguished Distinction award in 2016. Ahsan further pursued and completed his Master of Arts (MA) in Visual Arts from the same institution in 2019.

Ahsan has consistently exhibited exceptional artistic works on national and international platforms. Notable exhibitions featuring his art include Witness, a prominent display as part of Karachi Biennale 01 in 2017; Cross Borders, curated by Quddus Mirza at the Swiss Ambassadors Residence in Islamabad in 2018; and A Site for Sight, a significant collateral event of the Lahore Biennale 02 in 2019.

Ahsan has also been privileged to participate in several prestigious art residencies, including the ISL Artist Residency and the Pioneer Art Residency, both curated by the renowned Canvas Gallery in Karachi in 2017. He contributed to Taaza Tareen 8, an esteemed residency program organised by the Vasl Artist Collective in Karachi in 2016.

Recognised for his exceptional talent, Ahsan has received numerous prestigious awards, such as the Young Artist Award in the renowned annual exhibition About Time held at Alhamra Art Gallery, Lahore, in 2015. In 2008, he was recognised in the Benazir Bhutto Painting Competition at the Mehran Arts Council in Larkana.


KOMAIL AIJAZUDDIN (b. 1984) is a visual artist and writer. He holds degrees in Art & Art History from New York University and an MFA from the Pratt Institute, NY. His debut book "Manboobs: A memoir of Musicals, Visas, Hope & Cake" is coming Fall 2024, published by Abrams Press (US) and Transworld/DoubleDay Books (Internationally). He lives and works in New York City.


MARIA QAMAR (b. 1991, Karachi, Pakistan) is a first-generation Canadian from a traditional South Asian family. She moved to Canada at the age of nine in 2001 and was forced to endure bullying and racism as a young girl in a post 9/11 Toronto. Qamar found her artistic voice through Instagram where her illustrations resonated with the Desi community, particularly the second generation. Art became a means for her to handle realities of being brown and South Asian in an early 2000s North American context. Her work is collected by Mindy Kaling and was featured on The Mindy Project. She is an Instagram sensation and the author of the Trust No Aunty published in 2017. Her artwork has been shown in the AGO in Toronto, Mumbai Comicon, and the Oxo Tower Wharf in London, England. She has been featured on NPR, CBC, HarpersBAZAAR.com, and in The Toronto Star, FLARE Magazine, Bon Apetit and several other publications. Maria currently lives and works in Toronto, Canada.


NAVINDER NANGLA is an artist, designer, and stylist who utilizes the mediums of art and fashion to convey his unique language and interpretation of the world he inhabits

Navinder’s most noteworthy works. “FASSION LANGWITCH” is a powerful expression of his artistic identity, breaking free from the constraints of dyslexia. Transforming global cities like London, New Yorkers, Mumbai, Paris & South Korea into his canvases, Navinder’s work has resonated with diverse audiences. Notable figures such as Michelle Lamby (fashion designer), Rankin (photographer), Kris Van Assche (fashion designer), Imran Amed (founder - The Business of Fashion), & Mia Khalifa (influencer) have championed his art, sharing it widely on social media.

Recently, Navindar has translated his street art into experimental canvases, he boasts an eclectic catalogue of work, that offers a captivating glimpse into his multifaceted artistic vision.

Previous clients include Gucci, Converse & Levi’s, Navinder has already began merging the worlds he intersects in exciting ways.
His most recent award saw him honoured by Vogue India as a force of fashion 2023 in Mumbai.


PREETIKA RAJGARIAH (b. 1985) is a queer multidisciplinary artist whose works examine the complicated intersections of cultural + queer identity, nostalgia, and capitalist consumption while referencing her traditional upbringing as an Indian born, Texas raised American. She has been in residence at the Momentary, Oxbow, ACRE, Vermont Studio Center, and the School of Visual Arts NYC, and she has exhibited and performed in spaces such as Material Art Fair in Mexico City, Untitled Miami Basel, the Asia Society Texas Center, Roots & Culture and the Donnelley Foundation in Chicago, the Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts and SOMArts in San Francisco, Women & Their Work in Austin, and Diverseworks Houston. She received her MFA from the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign and currently lives and works in Houston, TX.


SHIVY GALTERE was born in London, UK and after 6 years in Brooklyn, NY now resides in Los Angeles. Her work references intimate self portraiture, exploring themes of identity and grief. She has recently started exploring her struggles with brand culture, the wellness industry and digital space. Her practice has expanded from acrylic to large scale oil painting.


TARINI SETHI (b 1989, India) creates work that focuses on themes of world building, mythology, folk stories, dream worlds and sexual emancipation. Created in direct response to my understanding of declining mental health, skepticism of current political discourse, dread of communalism, and distress at the destruction of the natural world, I attempt to make art that defies these realities. Her subjects –some quite human, some quite animal, but none clearly one or the other – fight and ponder, observe and converse, love and luxuriate, often within labyrinthine physical spaces and multi limbed anthropomorphic anatomies. In this world, bodies are freed from the ideas attached to the conventional notion of gender, perfection and beauty. As a woman from India, existing in a space of extreme sexual oppression, and constant scrutiny, I try to focus as much as possible on the idea that bodies can exist as perfect vessels for exploration, action and sexual emancipation. Taking cues from a range of artistic practices spanning the length of the subcontinent, specifically Kalighat, Miniature, Kavad and Tholu Bommalata, she uses these themes and ideas to bring my utopia to life. These themes are explored through a multimedia practice that includes paintings, drawings, and metal sculptures. Sethi currently lives in New Delhi, India.


VIRAJ KHANNA (b. 1995, Kolkata, West Bengal, India) is a visual artist from India who primarily works with the medium of textile. He studied Business Administration at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles in 2018. Khanna's works have been exhibited in solo shows at the LOFT, Gallery Art Exposure, Kolkata (2021); Tao Art Gallery, Mumbai (2022) ; the India Art Fair (2023) and recently at the National Gallery of Modern Art Mumbai (2023). He is currently pursuing his MFA at the Art Institute of Chicago.


Related artists

  • Komail Aijazuddin

  • Shivy Galtere

    Shivy Galtere

  • Ahsan Javaid

    Ahsan Javaid

  • Viraj Khanna

    Viraj Khanna

  • Ahsan Memon

    Ahsan Memon

  • Navinder Nangla

  • Maria Qamar

  • Preetika Rajgariah

  • Tarini Sethi

    Tarini Sethi

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