ARTIST Q&A // 'BOTH AND'

Having it Both Ways

Anuj Shrestha’s ‘Both/And’ series is playful, and deadly

EXCERPT //

RQ: Many of the images show warlike images, subjects, or destruction; some reference climate change and show how fragile our natural world and systems are; others show the fleetingness of beauty. How do you process death, war, or other existential risks? Are these particularly on your mind?

AS: I spend a lot of time thinking (and fretting) about the fates of nations and their dependency on war economies, particularly the United States. Investing in instruments of death while society and culture suffer is a grotesque contradiction that we’ve come to normalize. Additionally, the worsening climate crisis and complete failure of governments to address the risk to life on the planet create a constant tension. This tension is present in many of the quotidian elements of our daily lives and I try to explore that in some of these pieces. In terms of how I process all of this, I think that’s a very big and subjective question. For me, personally, I talk with friends, and try to affect change locally by attending protests and doing creative projects for local organizations. This inspires much of my personal work, which I make available online; my contribution to the political and cultural discourse. //

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