Momin Khan

Well-known for his dynamic canvases depicting the Central Asian sport of buzkashi, in which horse-mounted riders attempt to put a calf carcass (yes, calf carcass) through a goal, Momin Khan’s portrayals are so powerful and life-like, one can feel the tension and emotion of the action-packed game (which, fun fact, is the national sport of Afghanistan). Momin’s exploration of movement, strength, concentration, competition, and tumult in his canvases could be taken on the surface as just depicting an intense sport, but on a deeper level, it could well be regarded as a commentary on the human condition and perhaps even the artist’s own inner chaos. In our collection, we also show a second, somewhat different mood of Momin Khan, through his portraits of Kalash women. One would not expect Momin’s women to be demure or delicately pretty, and indeed, he does not disappoint us; they are strong, bold, confident and captivating, these women, and shown in all the glory of the colors of Kalash, and yet in their eyes we detect the same struggle and tumult as in his buzkashi canvases, except this time these emotions are turned inwards, towards introspection and self-examination.