Ectopic Pregnancy - 2
An abstract painting dominated by vibrant turquoise, blue, white, and crimson tones. Organic, rounded forms outlined in red and pink float across the composition, suggesting cellular, anatomical, or biomorphic shapes. Loose brushwork, layered washes, drips, splatters, and circular marks create a sense of movement and fluidity. The centre of the composition is anchored by a large vertical red form that fades into surrounding blue and white passages, while darker blue and charcoal accents add contrast and depth. The overall effect is energetic and expressive, evoking themes of the body, biology, or transformation through abstraction.
Title: Ectopic Pregnancy - 2
Artist: Asma Sultana
Date: 2023
Medium/Materials: Acrylic on paper
Dimensions: 89 cm x 64 cm
Form/Genre: Painting
Key Terms/Subject/Tags: Uterus; Reproductive system; Resilience; Care
Artist Statement:
Through Sultana’s autobiographical work, she seeks the truth of her identity as a diasporic, immigrant, displaced, freethinking minority woman—moving from the deeply personal to the universal. Her practice evolves from an ongoing quest to understand herself, her culture, her homeland, the world, and the universe that she inhabits. She constructs, deconstructs, and reconstructs lived experiences across East and West, weaving together fragmented memories and identities.
Central to her process are Sultana’s uprooted hair strands, which she collects, cleans, and stores meticulously—a mindful ritual akin to nurturing life itself. She uses it as a thread to embroider dresses, patterns, portraits, and installations, giving her biological existence tangible presence in art. Her discarded hair, a filamentous biomaterial containing dead cells and her DNA, becomes a literal self-portrait. She also draws with thumbs and fingers instead of brushes, applying ink directly to surfaces, and modifies everyday objects by embedding preserved hair.
This approach reflects natural cycles: hair falls from bodies as leaves from trees or seeds disperse for migration and renewal—displacement as an eternal part of life. Sultana’s multidisciplinary work blends media, techniques, and concepts to capture the complexity of existence across time and space.
Rooted in Bangladeshi heritage, textiles and embroidery evoke Bengal’s rich legacy, including the revered Nakshi Kantha hand-stitched quilts preserved in museums worldwide. Long, dark black hair symbolizes female beauty in Sultana’s culture, inherited through generations. By cherishing and reinterpreting this tradition with a contemporary twist, she honours ancestral identity while exploring its relevance today.
Cultural Context / Story Behind the Work:
Ectopic Pregnancy-2 is a subject that, despite Sultana’s personal experiences with feminine issues, evokes persistent mental and physical trauma. She conceptualizes the uterus as analogous to a dress that envelops and safeguards the developing fetus, much like clothing shields individuals from environmental elements. The maternal womb provides essential protection for the unborn child, paralleling the comfort and security that garments offer to people. This notion of protection extends both inward, for personal well-being, and outward, as a means to nurture others. As a woman without children, Sultana’s artistic practice frequently addresses deeply personal events that are often challenging to confront, reflecting the complexities of identity, loss, and resilience.
Rights for this Image:
This digital image is licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0. You are free to share it for non-commercial purposes, as long as you credit the artist.
Learn More: