/ 22 June 2008

Essops’ travails

Eastern philosophies of Islam come face to face with Western lifestyles in a new exhibition by Capetonian twins. Yazeed Kamaldien reports

Eastern philosophies of Islam come face to
face with Western lifestyles in a new exhibition by Capetonian twins. Yazeed Kamaldien reports

An intense debate emerges the more one engages with the photographic works by twin brothers Hasan and Husain Essop. At first glance their work depicts young men at the beach, training pit bull terriers to fight or kicking up a storm in a club. Closer interrogation shows that they’re commenting on young Muslim identities in an increasingly troubled world. And, while the references are distinctly Capetonian, the bigger picture raises debates that feature prominently in the so-called ”East versus West” scenario. Also in question is the role of morality within religious tradition and secular society.

The brothers are faced with the dilemma of countless Muslim youngsters. And they deal with it within the context of art. How do they reconcile the Eastern philosophies of Islam with their Western lives? How do they see themselves in a world that is seemingly hostile towards Muslims, whether in conflict-ridden locations or on ideological battlegrounds?

They take familiar scenarios and use them to comment on the contradictions that consume contemporary Muslims. Thornton Road is a seminal image in this regard. Its characters are Muslims, seemingly pro-Palestinian. Some wear scarves with Palestinian flags around their necks. Others drape themselves in military gear, sport jeans and T-shirts or don clothes to perform the Islamic prayer. The scene is Thornton Road, a street in a suburb with a large Muslim population. Coincidentally, this is also the site of an apartheid-era atrocity that took place in 1985 and which became known as ”the trojan horse” incident; police hidden in a vehicle opened fire on unarmed children and youths, several of whom were killed.

In Thornton Road some of the characters look like zombies, gulping Coca-Cola, while others are actively militarised. A massive red and white Coca-Cola sign dominates the scene, commenting on and questioning the priorities of the Muslim community. Are these Western or Eastern disciples? Where does the push and pull end for contemporary Muslims? These are the contradictory views of the Muslim community with which the twins grapple and which are rooted in the reality of Cape Town’s streets.

According to the more talkative Husain: ”We all suffer an inner struggle. You have this split personality within yourself because of the different lifestyles we’re exposed to. We were raised by traditional parents, but the moment one leaves the home you step into a world full of peer pressure. You grow up with this inner tension. You have your Islamic garb when you’re going to pray. But when you take that off, you have your Diesel top underneath, which you feel more comfortable with.”

Hasan, who specialised in print-making during his final year at art school, says their collaborative work is a result of years of dialogue. When they studied at the University of Cape Town’s Michaelis School of Fine Arts they felt alienated as two people who believed in God, says the more pensive Hasan. ”It’s been a difficult journey. Studying art was one of our biggest tests. We found that our religion played a major role in our lives and, therefore, will play a major role in our art production,” he says.

Using their own faces in the work helps them ”not to judge others”, says Hasan about cloning themselves in the work to further their processes of self-questioning. ”This is our experience. We don’t want to make an objective statement. We don’t want to put words in other people’s mouths. This is how we see the clash between East and West, which exists simultaneously in our bodies. It’s our struggle,” says Hasan.

This struggle also emerges in Pit Bull Training. The setting is the illegal dog fighting arena in Cape Town. Two dogs appear at the end of chains, ready to attack each other. At their heads are teddy bears dressed in American flags, suggesting that the dogs are like soldiers being trained to hate the West; ”in the same way that the West trains us to hate the East” via media conglomerates such as CNN and BBC, say the brothers.

Their work shows that they’re sensitised to the issues of their generation; contemporary Muslims who want to have it both ways. They desire religion and the benefits of a world that prioritises globalisation with its homogenous lifestyles and pursuits. But how does this merge with the Eastern philosophy that shuns materialism and Western ways? Finding the balance between these two states is the challenge they explore. This is the inner debate for countless young Muslims in secular societies, but the difference is in their representations of this journey.

Fast Food captures the essence of a spiritual search for clarity. A growing phenomenon in Cape Town’s Muslim community, in recent years, has been to end a day of Ramadan fasting by catching a glorious sunset at the beach. This is a shift from the tradition of sharing this sacred meal with immediate relatives at home or in a communal setting, such as a mosque.

Fast Food comments on contemporary life on the go.

The twins seek their place in a multiracial and religiously diverse society. Within their immediate Muslim community are people of different heritages: ”Our city, Cape Town, is unique,” says Hasan. ”It’s a place where people can live together and that’s why you find so many sub-cultures. Islam came to Cape Town but it kind of amalgamated with the culture that exists here. That’s why you will see Muslims in Africa wearing colourful prayer clothes. But still a Muslim can be seen as someone dressed differently because religion is also about what’s inside.”

The Essop brothers graduated from the University of Cape Town in 2006. To date their work has been acquired by private and public collectors, shown on the Spier Contemporary last year and exhibited at Goodman Gallery Cape. They are finalists in this year’s Absa L’Atelier art competition, a coveted prize in South African art circles. They are due to travel to Switzerland for the Art Basel fair in June. Their show at the Goodman Gallery in Cape Town ends on June 28 .