ICA exhibit features larger-than-life sculptures by Pakistani artist

A shrouded creature draped in a black, patinated bronze sheet bows on its knees, its head down in surrender, alone in the center of a dim room under a spotlight.

The nearly 12-foot long sculpture, titled “Benaam” after the Urdu word for “unnamed,” was created by Pakistani artist Huma Bhabha. At the Institute of Contemporary Art in the Seaport, visitors can see “Benaam” and other works from the New York-based artist at a new exhibit called “Huma Bhabha: They Live.”

“Benaam” was first created in 2002 and pays homage to victims of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. It was previously displayed on the roof of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.

Eva Respini, a curator at the ICA, said she brought together Bhabha’s works to highlight the artist’s career milestones and development since Bhabha began creating art in 1994.

Bhabha spent years practicing sculpture as her specialized medium, Respini said, though she also dabbled in other types of art, such as using face masks to recreate monster-like faces and monoprints.

The exhibition highlights Bhabha’s creations that are inspired by science fiction, antique artifacts and religious references, according to Respini. She said it features 62 pieces that span more than 20 years of production and is Bhabha’s largest exhibition to date.

“It’s about thinking about how can we create an aesthetically pleasing argument in space,” Respini said.

She said the artist played with hybridity in gender, materials and form, as a figure can be either a human, animal, alien or a combination of some sort. Sculptural history is another influence for Bhabha, Resipni said, from ancient times to the science fiction and horror films of the present.

“The focus on the figurative is really very strong, and it’s the strongest thread throughout the work,” Respini said. “Its connection to different sources is really significant.”

During a tour of the exhibit, Respini explained that some of Bhabha’s works are made up of everyday objects, which she called “humble and found materials.” One such installation included a flattened-out tire, which she said Bhabha found randomly on the shoulder of a highway.

Respini added Bhabha’s use of different material is a key aspect in the exhibition that can be seen in most of her works. Bhabha’s works are unique in today’s art scene, she said.

“She’s a sculptor in the original sense of the word, and that is all about what she creates by hand and the privacy of the hand,” Respini said.

Cosette Patterson, a freshman at Boston College who attended the exhibition, said she thought it was clever that Bhabha used current events to craft detailed and intense work.

“It’s just such a great way to use pieces that we see so often but put in a different way to depict something that we hadn’t thought of before, or maybe something that is really familiar to us,” Patterson said. “It was just very meaningful and very powerful.”

For her sculpture titled “Waiting For Another Game,” Bhabha designed a 120-inch tall totemic figure with cork for the lower half and industrial styrofoam for the head and torso. Margaux Leonard, public relations manager at the ICA, said that Bhabha’s work stimulates the mind by keeping other bodily senses in mind when creating her artworks. Due to its natural property, Leonard said the cork evoked an earthy scent.

“The smell is really interesting,” she said. “You don’t get a lot of that in art museums.”

According to Respini, “They Live” is an exhibition with a cinematic narrative.

“The kind of singularity of her approach and her material choices I think is really unique today,” Respini said. “There’s nothing else like this.”

“Huma Bhabha: They Live” opened its doors to the public on March 23 and will remain open until May 27.

CORRECTION: This article was updated for additional information.