Every time I entered the Indus Gallery in Bath Island, I was struck by the strong presence of Imam Sahib, as Ali Imam was popularly known. He sat in the small room at the entrance, watching over all who visited,…
The works of Sumaira Tazeen are a visual soliloquy of her life, lived experiences and observations of the society she lives in, delivered in a garb of symbols and metaphors. Trained in the traditional South Asian art form of miniature,…
Being an artist is difficult. In South Asia, it can be discouraging due to poor state funding, perplexed parents, and opaque market prospects. Talented, committed artists have set examples in the past--- but women, especially from marginalized ethnic backgrounds, face…
Karachi’s Architectural Heritage is slowly disappearing. This includes many reasons, ranging from a lack of initiatives by the Sindh Government, a lack of knowledge or desire to conserve what remains, and collective amnesia. The response to buildings of historic character…
A group of multidisciplinary artists and a studious curator convene at Barkat Ali Islamia Hall, opposite Mochi Gate, along a circular road in Lahore. They investigate indigenous knowledge systems and their intersections with ecology, ancient history, mythology, and mysticism, thoroughly…
An art museum can serve as a powerful monument, a place where histories can be revisited, reclaimed, and given a new voice. The oldest museums in our country are archaeological in nature, framed by perspectives constructed by outsiders. The narratives…
Achara--- reimagined as a vibrant medium for narrative and spatial exploration in the exhibition Folding/Unfolding- The Achara Chronicles, curated by Arshad Faruqui. The curator focuses on highlighting principles of repurposing, thereby reflecting on the recurring nature of artistic creation. Within…
In Delhi was the true arch. Not the semblance or the charlatan, but the true-blue horseshoe throwing the superstitions of the beam to the wind. All experience was this arch and the seventeen-year-old neophyte in the city a hapless Ulysses…
A solo show by Noman Bhatti opened its doors to his fine art photography series titled Evolving Selves at the IVS Gallery, Karachi on the 15th of October, 2024. In this exhibition curated by Malika Abbas, Bhatti unveils eighteen striking…
The deliberate intention to illustrate the miniature paintings in an unrealistic manner was aligned with the aesthetic reasoning of the painters to represent reality in a fictional way. Unlike their Western counterparts, miniature paintings have always deviated from the photographic…