I remember tying a scarf on my head and in my dunlop slippers, walking the dirt roads that lead to the Aswani market every Tuesday. The sweet smell of dried craw-fish in the air, hawkers balancing basins of pure water on their tiny heads and calling out “pure water!!!!! pure water!!!!!” to attract their market of customers and traders alike for they were essential to quench our undying thirst as we melted under the mercy of the mid-day sun, clothes sticking to our bodies as we perspired and dirt sticking to our sweat. Crowded markets and noisy streets blocked with traders wares. The un-ending traffic jam from commercial bus drivers who had no regards for traffic laws and yet in the midst of it all , we still manage to strike good bargains on food and fabric and what ever else the rowdy chaotic market had to offer. Even in the madness, I saw beauty; the beauty of people who lived a humble life, striving to make a living, the beauty of unfortunate innocent children playing in the sand with their bare bottoms covered in dust,the beauty of broken english spoken by the less literate, the sweet sound of multiple local languages and dramatic facial expressions that accompanied those who spoke them, the beauty of colorful bright red and orange tomatoes and peppers carefully displayed on beaten table tops by simple people who could never ask for more than to make a good sale at the end of the day.
“Aswani Tomatoes and Peppers” is on sale at Gallery Guichard, 436 E 47th St, Chicago, IL 60653
(773) 791-700 , contact:-
ANDRE GUICHARD
andreguichard@yahoo.com
773-791-7003
FRANCES GUICHARD
francesguichard@gmail.com
708-772-9315
http://www.galleryguichard.com
ninartz 