Contemporary artist Misha Japanwala is transforming how we perceive the human body through her groundbreaking exhibition at the Hannah Traore Gallery in New York City. Rather than identifying herself as a traditional sculptor, the 30-year-old Pakistani-American artist describes her work as "documenting people and their bodies," creating unique pieces that celebrate the parts of ourselves we're often taught to hide.
Japanwala's current exhibition, titled "Sarsabzi," showcases vibrant moldings of different parts of women's bodies, particularly focusing on areas that carry societal shame - stretch marks, scars, and cellulite. The title comes from the Pakistani Urdu language, where "sarsabzi" can describe landscapes as verdant or depict human lives as flourishing. "When they walk into a museum or a gallery, they don't see themselves on the wall, to feel so completely seen in the parts of yourself that you have held shame," Japanwala explains. "To walk into a space and see that that is the artwork itself is a magical thing."
Born in Karachi, Pakistan, Japanwala moved to the United States to pursue fashion but found herself drawn to the bodies that wear clothes rather than the garments themselves. "So instead of feeling like I had to conform my body to fit a certain garment, I was creating a garment out of my body itself," she reflects. Growing up surrounded by strong women in Pakistan inspired her focus on moving beyond shame, and she describes her work as "a love letter to Karachi and the people that I grew up with that inspired my own shamelessness."
The artist's process begins in her home studio in northern New Jersey, where she invites subjects to have their bodies molded using body-safe silicone. She carefully paints the silicone onto areas like postpartum bellies, capturing every detail of scars and stretch marks before coating the mold in plaster and peeling it away to reveal reality. "You're taking this part of yourself that you're ashamed about, and you're documenting it in a way that is so honest and so detailed that it just kind of forces you to confront that part of yourself," Japanwala explains.
One of her most profound experiences came three years ago when she issued an open call in Pakistan for women willing to have their breasts molded. Zahra Khan responded to the call the night before her double mastectomy, seeking to document a part of her body she would lose the following day. "To be able to document a part of the body that this woman was going to lose the next day and to have this moment of celebration and joy in her journey took me aback, that this practice had the power to make people feel that way," Japanwala recalls.
The exhibition also features the work of Sylvia Abdullah, who had her postpartum belly molded to document her journey through multiple surgeries. After spending months in and out of hospitals following her daughter's birth due to dangerously high blood pressure, Abdullah advocated for further investigation when doctors initially attributed her condition to childbirth complications. They eventually discovered a tumor on her kidney requiring multiple surgeries. "On a bad day, it's why me? Why did I have this condition? And then on other days, I feel lucky. I'm still here for my baby," Abdullah shares about viewing her scars.
Japanwala's art serves as both an archive of life and loss. This past summer, Zahra Khan, who had courageously documented her breasts before her mastectomy, died of cancer at age 33. To honor Khan's memory, Japanwala has launched another open call for moldings, with proceeds dedicated to building a cancer hospital in their shared hometown of Karachi. This initiative represents the artist's commitment to using her platform for meaningful change while continuing to challenge societal norms around women's bodies.
The significance of Japanwala's work extends far beyond the gallery walls, addressing critical issues around women's health advocacy and body acceptance. "I'm really interested in documenting the parts of ourselves that we specifically are conditioned to carry a lot of shame within," she explains, citing examples like reactions to women breastfeeding in public or checking breasts for lumps. Her goal is to create a world where documenting women's bodies in this honest way doesn't feel radical, though she acknowledges that it currently does.
Through "Sarsabzi," Japanwala continues to build a growing installation that serves as a powerful reminder to overcome shame and advocate for personal health. Her work demonstrates how art can transcend traditional boundaries to create spaces for healing, celebration, and honest self-examination. As she puts it, "I would love to exist in a world where just documenting women's bodies in this way didn't feel so radical, but it does. I'm honored to be able to do the work as long as it needs to be done."
