Day #17 - Art for Lent: Imran Qureshi's "Blessings Upon the Land of my Love" #Lent2016

ART + RELIGION
By Aaron Rosen

Imran Qureshi, "Blessings Upon the Land of my Love" (2011) by Imran Qureshi | Pakistan. Acrylic and emulsion paint. Installatiopn view, Sharjah Art Biennial 10

'[The] red that I have been using in recent years can look so real, like blood,' says Qureshi. 'The red reminds me of the situtation today in my country, Pakistan, and in the world around us, where violence is almost a daily occurrence. But somehow, people still have hope. The flowers that seem to emerge from the red paint in my work represent the hope that -- despite everything -- the people sustain somehow, their hope for a better future.' [page 155]

Lent is the annual Christian preparation for Easter. "Today's Art for Lent2016" features artworks that illustrate the Christian "Battle between Carnival and Lent."