Kites, Circling
In Pakistan, there is strong belief in “sadqa” or charity. Whether contented or unfortunate, you give “sadqa”. One such form of charity is feeding the birds. It is believed that if you feed them, your wishes come true. You’d often see street vendors lined on the side of the road, with baskets on their bikes, selling meat in blue plastic bags. You buy the meat to distribute as charity. The past few years, I have been doing it consistently, wishing for my son and I to be together. Before I’d even open the bag, the kites start congregating in the sky. They amplify in numbers quickly and have the power to leave you speechless.
This three-channel installation, captures the movement and flight of these predatory birds, circling over me, seeking the meat. They are a reminder of home, a memory that unexpectedly creeps up. On a sunny day, walking from my house to the car, I look up and the sky here, in the U.S., is unfamiliar. I’m distinctly aware of the disparity between the two, and what they have come to mean. But some days, I wish for a different sky, the kites, and the meaning they represent.