Shahzia Sikander: Melting Boundaries

Documentary Short
UsA (2023)
role: Director & Producer
Production company: Art21

Known for addressing colonial histories and erasures through traditional Indian and Persian manuscript paintings, Artist Shahzia Sikander is creating two sculptures for her first major public art commission in New York City. “Witness” is installed in Madison Square Park, a short distance from its counterpart, “Now,” sitting atop the Appellate Division, First Department, Supreme Court of the State of New York alongside statues of famous lawmakers like King Louis IV and Moses. Through these pieces, Shahzia reimagines the monument as a marker of boundary-breaking, feminine spirit, and collective visibility. Shahzia's work is especially timely in light of recent legislative battles surrounding women’s reproductive rights in the United States, as well as the ongoing fight for equitable representation in society at large.

Screenings
San Francisco IndieFest 2024 (Jury Prize for Best Documentary Short Film)
Thomas Edison Film Festival 2024 (Jury’s Citation Award)
Silicon Valley Asian Pacific FilmFest 2024

Artist Statement

Shahzia considers herself to be “a traveler in time and space,” and it is enlightening to have had the opportunity to document her journey of bringing these sculptures to life. Drawing inspiration from and engaging with cultures and histories across borders and time periods, she imbues layers of knowledge and meaning in her art. While every detail in Shahzia’s work is deeply researched and considered, she maintains an intuitive way of working and allows feelings to guide her creative decisions, embodying the multiplicity she wants the female figures in her work to convey.

As a fellow immigrant woman from Asia, I was struck by the idea of self-rootedness that Shahzia explores in these sculptures. Beyond asserting that we can carry our roots wherever we go, Shahzia also invites everyone to think about how we all inhabit a transitory, in-between space, and can be many things at once.