Faculty of Art

Drawing and Painting

Mahir Siraj

Separation Liminality Reintegration

The painting titled Separation Liminality Reintegration is my reflection on the repetitive pattern of rites of passage, be it in the life experiences of individuals, societies, states, or history, in a collective sense, that manifests in three phases. Individually, a human being experiences separation from the familiar; nurturing of caretakers, lands in a state of liminality and struggle, and finally passes the challenge and reintegrates back with the former self with experience and maturity. This process is deeply studied and discussed in the works of the French ethnographer and folklorist Arnold van Gennep. Similarly, the three-phase passage also manifests in the collective and across time. Conflicts and injustices lead people to revolt, revolution causes uncertainty, and if successful, a revolution maintains the same or better stability as the time before the chaos, or in an unfortunate outcome, extinction. I have found myself impacted by the rites of passage, both individually and as a beneficiary of the collective memory. Being born in Ethiopia, I have experienced firsthand the state of chaos as the country was steeped in a bloody conflict with my country of origin, Eritrea. As a result, I, along with thousands of Eritreans, were forcefully conscripted and deported to our place of origin, which was in a state of uncertainty caused by the decades-long colonization and occupation and the people’s revolution that put a stop to it. Following the end of the revolution, the country faced numerous hurdles that made the fruits of the revolution bitter. Hence, political and economic uncertainty forced its citizens to seek refuge abroad. Likewise, I escaped my country and found myself a refugee in the country of Sudan. After seven years of living as a refugee there, I came to Canada through the refugee sponsorship program. Although my new setting, Canada, is completely different from what I am familiar with, I found it to be the safe haven I longed for and a place where I can pursue my dream without the dread of turmoil. Hence, at the moment, I consider myself to be in the third state of the rite of passage, reintegration. Being a person with such a background, I carry a personal and collective memory that I usually explore through visual means, specifically through symbolic and allegorical interpretations. As such, through my paintings and other creative endeavours, I am slowly collecting the pieces of my identity torn by numerous uncertainties, aiming to return to my former collected self, but with experience and wisdom.

“The painting Separation Liminality Reintegration employs the use of symbolism and allegory rooted in my personal and social experiences/memories. Through the use of land structures and vivid tones, the painting evokes a sense of uncanny and intrigue, leaving the viewer to ponder the nature and story of the scene. For instance, the upper portion features jagged mountain-like forms, possibly indicating a sunset or a cataclysmic event, and three circular forms subtly embedded in the atmosphere above it. The scale and magnitude of the mountains and the strangeness of the veiled circular forms trigger a sublime state that automatically triggers a negotiation between one’s rationality and the known beyond. The central element appears to resemble a body of water surrounded by ambiguous forms and platforms. The contrast between the fiery atmosphere and the cold openings suggests a dynamic interplay of contrasting emotions internally, and of the external world. The presence of suggestive forms, such as a tree and a ladder or a fence laid horizontally, engages the viewer's eye and offers an accessible entry point to construct a story based on what is in front and what is sparked in the memory of the familiar. Likewise, the stark contrast between the cold openings that show a landscape covered in snow, the ablaze atmosphere fuels the intensity of the mythical visual storyline. The mysterious glowing central structure and the pouring of golden fluid that emanates from beyond bring the symphony to a climax, hinting at an overflow of contentment. ”