Bani Abidi
And they died laughing, 2016
A series of paintings in which people are laughing hysterically, the work is a pun on the term ‘to die laughing’. Thinking about people in Pakistan who have been assassinated or have disappeared overnight, targeted for their political beliefs, the artist affords them agency at their moment of departure.
Flailing Barriers, 2015
An extension of the artists continuing interest in security architecture, the security barriers in these drawings start flailing of their own volition.
Bani Abidi (born 1971) is a female Pakistani contemporary artist. She has held numerous exhibitions and her works focused on political issues. She uses both photography and videos to make comments and critics on current politics and culture.
In 1994, she was awarded a BFA in painting and printmaking from National College of Arts, Pakistan. In 1999, she was awarded a MFA from School of the Art Institute of Chicago, the United States of America. From 2000 to 2012, she completed four residencies programme in different institutions.
Bani started to join group exhibitions and screenings from 2003, and held her solo exhibitions and screenings from 2006. She has so far joined over 80 group exhibitions and screenings worldwide and held her solo exhibitions for 12 times.
