Kōrero Toi: Noesheen Sherreeze Buksh

ARTS | ISSUE TWO | WAIRUATANGA / SPIRITUALITY

Written By Noesheen Sherreeze Buksh she/her | @bon._.bon._.908  | Contributing Writer

My art practice examines mortality. Through my interpretation of the apocalypse, my practice is shaped by my interfaith Christian-Islamic upbringing and Fijian-Indian heritage.

Painting is a tool I use to escape the never-ending dread I feel in the pit of my stomach when the topic of religion and spirituality are brought up. I use the means of creating art to distance myself from my own head. Placing a barrier between my mind and soul, so as not to attempt to think about how uncomfortable I get. However, as I have grown older I can’t seem to escape it. It seemed to have slithered into every aspect of my life, hissing questions and asking what I believe in. Faced by these questions, I found myself hesitating. Perish the thought that I say nothing, or worse, I believe in them all. 

​But what should I say? When I grew up in a home with presents wrapped under the Christmas tree every December and an Eid celebration thrown every year to mark the end of the fasting month. It made sense that I would believe in both. Yet I’m told that isn’t the right answer; I need to choose just one. Listening to what was told of me was never my strong suit. So I did what I do best… whatever I wanted. 

I combined both religions that had influenced me into a series of paintings, blending carefully selected iconographies that tell the story of how the apocalypse would come near. The way I approached this concept, which was not unheard of, was by reading the Qur’an and the Book of Revelation. I resonated with verses where a picture was painted in my head. Another aspect of my artworks was a conversation I had with my mother on faith. Forcing myself to sit and listen, no matter how badly I wished to disappear. The final aspect of my practice was finding the common link in the midst of it all. Although each of my parents believed in separate faiths, they were united in one thing; our Fiji-Indian heritage. I wanted a way to showcase this link in my paintings, and I achieved this through the use of framing. By framing my paintings with Fijian patterns, I could highlight the symbols of my family's common heritage amidst their faiths. Through my valiant efforts, I was able to create apocalyptic scenes depicting the events leading up to the end. 

The process and thought behind my artmaking is incredibly important to my practice. As it is through this that I can confront the conflicted nature of my upbringing and how it shaped me. Giving me the ability to navigate past the discomfort I have, and attempt to reconcile and embrace my own spirituality.