The millions who live in the cities of today are often polarized by economic stratification and ideological differences; the social rupture can be further exacerbated by heavy state policing of public spaces. In a tense cityscape like this, public art…
Art has the ability to haunt, to stick in the memory and nourish the spirit.The ability of the artist to transmute paints into forms, shapes and feelings is a source of wonder. Equally fascinating is the interplay between art-forms -…
Celebrating 40 years of Chawkandi Art Gallery is a curatorial endeavor by art critic and curator Amra Ali, spanning two shows linked through a thematic of deep complexity. It opens up a comparative study between visual art, poetic texts, and…
The exhibition Manzar thrives on its transnational public sphere, engaging audiences across diverse languages and perspectives. Featuring an impressive curatorial team, the show explores Pakistan’s 75-plus-year history of art and architecture, grappling with deep-rooted questions of identity: What is Pakistani…
Michelangelo’s The Last Judgement, on the altar wall of the Sistine Chapel, elicited a wide spectrum of responses from the audience during its unveiling. While many praised the artwork for its grandeur, emotional depth, and masterful technique, it also sparked…
The South Asian perspective of womanhood is an almost clandestine lived experience that is challenging to narrate to those who have not witnessed it first-hand. Although unity can be found in the universal female struggle of women worldwide, the nuances…
People, cultures and ideas have constantly reshaped our understanding of the world. Their creative impulse, cultural and intellectual legacy remains inextricably tied to, and visible in our lived experiences, environments and even urban spaces. Cities may be seen as artificial…
Faceless, the mid-career retrospective of Khadim Ali’s work at the COMO Museum of Art feels like a much-awaited homecoming. Living and working between Sydney, Kabul and Quetta, Ali studied at the National College of Arts (NCA), graduating from the esteemed…
Emerging from the fertile Ganges plains, where the river Megna29 flowed, was a textile celebrated for its ethereal qualities. As light as the wind, and clear as the dew, the Indian Muslins, or ‘malmal’, were a delicate, sheer handwoven cotton…
As the garden’s gate opened, an enchanting floral aroma fused with the essence of humanity, soaked profoundly into the soul--- awakening forgotten memories of joyfulness and serenity. The whiff was rich with the fragrance of passion, commitment, quest, and vitality.…