Stain

Stain represents the mark that refuses to fade away – the bruise on the body, the scar of history, the wound on the land or the after-trace on digital terrains. But often the stain is seen through the eyes of society, and imprinted by systems that strive to scrub away all that is non-normative. The stain is a mark of rebellion, unruly and filled with vitality.

In Pari’s 30th exhibition, artists hone in on the stains left behind on porous bodies. To reckon with dark feelings and realities, some turn to horror to process experiences of displacement, trauma and dysphoria. Others resist in subtle defiance against being categorised, embracing lived-in bodies in their continually changing forms.

If we look closely at the stain, we see the wealth of colours concealed within. Playful, enduring, and honest, these ingrained marks become a record of personal and cultural myth – all visible through a glass darkly.