Metamorphosis through Pain: The Quest for Belonging in the Works of Anna Molka Ahmed

Abstract

This research examines the intricacies associated with displacement, cultural identity, and a sense of belonging in the works of Anna Molka Ahmed - a Pakistani artist. Her artwork depicts a painful cultural oscillation between her native land (London) and the adopted one (Lahore). By incorporating semiotic analysis with Bhabha’s postcolonial theory of third space, this research establishes art as a third realm for an artist. Moreover, Ahmed’s dual journey of place and self, depicts a metamorphosis that is mirrored throughout her artwork through an adept use of color and symbolism. This research investigates how Ahmed, as an immigrant, challenges patriarchal norms and colonial compartmentalisation through meticulously created artwork that mirrors her assertive voice. Her artwork is analysed as a transient space for a hybrid where she transmutes her alienation into a creative sense of belonging, thereby emphasising that for Ahmed, art was both self-defining and transformative. This assimilation of a diasporic hybrid’s identity within the foreign land is portrayed as a progressive and intentionally constructed discourse, and is revealed through an in-depth analysis of Ahmed’s paintings. Thus, this research presents a radical reinterpretation of Ahmed’s hybrid identity and search for a home through her art rather than through her territorial affiliation.