XECON UDDIN (BD/FR)
Text written by GHA
Born in Bangladesh and based in France, Xecon Uddin mainly works with graphic prints and experiments with other media such as photography and drawings. In his artworks, he explores different aspects of identity, especially in relation to his status as a refugee and queer artist. He often creates figurative pieces that depict hybrid humans combined with natural elements. These works convey his exploration of dreams and memories, as well as the layered nature of human identity and relationship to nature.
Uddin uses the body to explore identity and defines it as a site of expression of social conventions. In his photography series Poem of a Queer Soul, he creates self-portraits that integrate natural and surreal elements —common to his prints— and focus on questions of sexual identity and gender.
These artworks explore the relationship with physicality and the notion of normality using sensory perceptions and spiritual reflections to draw attention to social, political and cultural issues related to sexual identity.
In his series Back to the Roots, Uddin uses Lithography to depict young human figures which occupy a bizarre and delicate natural landscape. The vibrant colours used, combined with surrealist scenes, guide the audience to recall their personal memories. He deals with similar themes in his series Souvenirs d’Enfance (meaning ‘Childhood Memories’), which is done in Aquatinte. Here, he depicts hybrid portraits of humans with animalistic features, surrounded by nature and reminiscent of a fairytale. The two series both appeal to the viewers’ personal adolescence, their imaginative dreams and inventions.
Xecon also explores youth in his illustrative drawing series Dream in a Dream, which involves a use of distinct black lines existing in stark contrast to colourful splashes of ink. Along with exploring childhood memories, Uddin’s once again demonstrates the complex relationship between man and nature. He depicts childish figures engaging in playful activities, demonstrating the simple and colourful joy of interacting with nature. However, the figures are overtaken by nature, in the form of stark, twisting vines and embracing roots, often obscuring the figures’ form and sometimes even emerging from the figures themselves.
Uddin’s unique creative perspective regarding change and personal development invites the viewer to take part in the journey into his fantastical worlds and dreamscapes. In his pieces, he gently and imaginatively processes difficult questions of human experience and identity.
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Layers of Existence 1 Invisible dialogues
