Farrukh Addnan gives voice to fallen pieces
Sic.Parvis.Magna. A famed saying etched in the ring worn by Sir Francis Drake, a renowned explorer, the first to navigate the world in a single expedition. The Latin motto translates to Greatness from Small Beginning. Thus, a person who dares to embark on challenging waves of personal and worldly affairs is bound to be crowned by the greatness of the nature of things.
There is more to it than it seems. Humans are a resilient species, especially when there is seemingly no gain in sight. Addnan knows such circumstances; he can be deemed the Midas of the ruined city of Tulamba. His love for exploring and finding buried extravagance came from his love of Tulamba, his turf. He emphasizes the semantical importance of the history, tradition, and culture blooming from its ruins. A teacher, curator, explorer, son of the soil, and archaeologist, there is much in line to connect Addnan with his people, land, and with himself. His work emphasises the importance of South Asian linkage with its ancestral foundations, which shows the perseverance of culture even through fateful eras of colonization, and conquests.
“The artist is not a person endowed with free will who seeks his own ends, but one who allows art to realize its purposes through him.”
Carl Jung’s Analytical Psychological Theory proposes that we as humans are bound to look into depths and see patterns in shape and form, and that these symbolic representations are there to elevate to us the collective intelligence of our forebears.
Addnan strives to understand the dots, symbols, and letters found in his excavation of his hometown. Syntax and Semantics are the two words that drive the artistic and explorative nature of his artwork. The autonomous nature of genealogical exploration of selecting field sites, interpreting findings, and navigating an unpredictable environment supports a strong sense of volition and self-direction. Addnan is curating a sense of self and concept of immaculate individuation within culture through collaborative and immersive aspects of archaeological work done in his turf, which fosters a meaningful understanding of relatedness, both to contemporary colleagues and to the human past.
Whether the art is a part of our history or vice versa, Addnan will undoubtedly combine his knowledge into a single, deeply rooted totality and fit these disparate pieces into a larger mystery of archaeological significance for us, his devoted audience.
Written by Tehreem Fatima
Tehreem is pursuing a Bachelor’s in Clinical Psychology from the University of Management and Technology, and is the assistant editor of the School of Professional Psychology magazine. She has two cats and reads as many books as she can. Tehreem developed an interest in artistic practices from an early age. She also makes custom Eid, birthday, and Mother’s Day cards for her family.
Images:
Top: Google Earth view of Tulamba.
Bottom: The Moments – I, Farrukh Addnan, pen and ink on canvas, all copyrights are retained by the artist, 2025.
