Najia Fatima

This work addresses the relationship that I have had with the pigeons in my hometown where they are considered a blessing to the people they share the space with. High alters with windows in the roofs are a part of the traditional design to not only allow the ventilation of air, but also, the birds to move in and out of the space freely. Food and water was provided for the pigeons as we shared the space and boundaries were blurred between the inhabitants of the space. I let my audience in Toronto experience a part of this relationship in my installation where I sculpted 70 pigeons out of clay and placed them on the pipes, windows and near the ceiling of the studio-spaces that the pigeons would have naturally inhabited. Pigeons evoke a deep sense of nostalgia in me as they are honoured and welcomed into our homes as opposed to being pushed out into corners of the streets.