a visual journal of maldives

Mamduh Waheed, Love in a Public Space, Marker, Acrylic on Paper, 24 x 12 inches, 2007

Mamduh Waheed, Faivan Vagu (Yellow), oil on canvas paper, 2004

Faivan Vagu - literally meaning ’slipper thief’, i.e. ‘person who steals slippers’, is a series of small oils I did on canvas paper. Initially I did the drawings with a marker and put the color on later. Later I also made a montage of all of them and digitally manipulated them to make a print (see below).

Losing one’s slippers is a common incident in the Maldives; at least in the Male’ where I grew up. Visiting the mosque is a common practice here and I used to frequent them. You are supposed to leave your slippers at the entrance to the mosque. And when you come out after your prayers, it is very likely that your slippers have disappeared. Whether this is deliberately done by someone who attend the mosque or whether your slippers are lost among the many other pairs is not known. But I am very sure that a number of us would have experienced this at least once - that is if you have ever frequented the mosques in Male.

Initially I wanted to explore the link between a place valued for its ability to make us closer to god and the act of theft, a forbidden vice in Islam. But there are more connotations to the work. It is not only when we enter mosques that we leave our slippers outside. We also often leave them when we enter some houses. We leave them by the door to the main room (sitting room), but this is not because of any religious associations we have with the home, but as a measure of cleanliness. (to be continued…)

Photos of artworks by Shahee Ilyaas, 2004

Mamduh Waheed, Faivan Vagu (Blue), oil on canvas paper, 2004

Mamduh Waheed, Faivan Vagu (Pink), oil on canvas paper, 2004

Mamduh Waheed, Faivan Vagu (Multiple), digital print, 2004

An edited version of the essay which was initially published in the catalogue of ‘Beyond the Tourists’ Eye’ exhibition has now appeared in the South Issue of Artlink, an Australian magazine on visual art. Click on the image below for a link to the magazine’s website. Unfortunately, you can see only a brief here and can read the full version in the print edition of the magazine. My guess is after sometime you can access an online version of the essay from the website. The original catalogue is still available for purchase from the National Art Gallery.

Afzal Shafiu Hassan (Afu) has attended a residency and exhibited his work in the Mauritus. The event was organized by the Mauritian artist association Partage. 27 artists from 13 countries participated in the event.

mw 2007

Afzal with one his works, 2007

Afzal Shafiu Hassan, Octopus series, acrylic on canvas, 2007

Afzal Shafiu Hassan, Octopus series, acrylic on canvas, 2007