From the series of “I Have to Feed Myself , My Family and My Country”
This work was exhibited at THE 8TH ASIA PACIFIC TRIENNIAL OF CONTEMPORARY ART (APT8)
21 NOV 2015 – 10 APR 2016,, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
“This painting is based on true story from Lamjung (my birth place) . The First Series of diptych portrays helmet of the dead son ( Raju Gurung).Helmet is the center piece in the composition and in its background are Saudi’s fancy skyscrapers. Gulf Countries are developing into luxurious hub of the world with stylish hotels , shopping malls and business center. But people who are making it have different stories. Hundreds of migrant workers die every year because of exploitation & carelessness . Most of the workers are from South Asia mostly Nepal. Generally workers & their family take huge loans for work procedures .Unfortunately when worker dies , it becomes extremely difficult to handle the loss of loved one and to manage financial conditions for the family. Gurung’s family are few fortunate ones to get the death insurance money .The worker’s helmet and mega constructions are ironical but sad reality .
Second series of diptych portrays old couple , the father is holding passport of his son who died in Saudi Arab. 16 years old boy had increased his date of birth to get work permit . The family living in remote village had poor condition . Furthermore the old father had a broken leg and mother’s one eye was damaged. Being only son he wanted to be help to improve family’s degrading condition . He got job in cement company but sadly within 6 months of his visit he died in an accident because of carelessness of the company he was working in . When his body was recovered he was still wearing his protection helmet. Poor family received cash from dead son’s insurance but that money is never going to heal the wounds in their heart , never fill the emptiness of their son .On the background of couple’s portraits is little house (repeated ) which they made with their son’s death insurance money, as they were living in the cow shed before, but they still have soulless sad eyes. ”
Hitman Gurung
Details
- Title : Yellow Helmet & Gray House
- Year : 2014
- Artist : Hitman Gurung
- Classification : Painting
- Medium : Acrylic on canvas
- Dimension : 121.92 X 152.4 X 3.81 CM each
- Accession No : Not Known
- Country/ Geo-location : Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- Collection : Queensland Art Gallery & Gallery of Modern Art