The work of Sydney-based artist Waqeea Chaudhry comes from a place of emotional vulnerability, her paintings forming a visceral link between the viewer’s experiences and her own. In Bereft we see that, while the artist has delighted in a life lived abroad, she is unafraid to linger on the hardships that come with this lifestyle – particularly the feelings of isolation that come with being separated from family. Friendships must be endlessly remade, and distance is acutely felt, especially in times of hardship. Chaudhry uses beeswax and damar resin with oil paint to enhance the textural quality of her medium, giving volume and depth to her figures. In this work, this approach enhances the tactility of the subject’s skin, which appears almost soft to the touch. The figure sits alone amongst deeply-worked passages of colour, her face averted from the strong light shining down on her. Her posture is closed, a leg hugged tightly to her chest, and hands clasped firmly atop her foot. Though no person’s experience of the world is the same, we are all familiar with this sense of loneliness, of being bereft of something or someone. It takes great bravery for an artist to be so honest in their work, and this candour is profoundly compelling through Chaudhry’s application of paint.
Above: Waqeea Chaudhry, Bereft, 2024. Oil and wax, 76 x 76cm. $2,500. Courtesy: the artist.