The lake is already awake when the artists arrive. Houseboats rock gently, fastened more by habit than rope. Nets dry in uneven arcs along their wooden spines. Children lean over the water’s edge, watching reflections rupture and reform. For five…
The cultural and economic value of textile craft micro-enterprises is often visible in present-day urban centres, projects led by non-profits, and consumerist practices in Pakistan. Reading through definitions of textile craft4, one comes across descriptions referring to activities engaged with…
Last year, I visited ‘The Haveli Museum’ in Karachi, where the exhibition The Coat of Many Colours displayed textile-based crafts from Sindh. These objects included bujhki16, coverlets, and posh17, among several others. Observing these items stirred a quiet nostalgia for…
Textiles are one of humanity’s oldest inventions, yet they renew endlessly. From the earliest woven fragments of the Indus Valley to the intricate embroideries of modern-day Pakistan, dyed, embroidered, and stitched cloth has carried memory, identity, and the accumulated knowledge…
The Land Sings Back, an exhibition showing works of thirteen artists of South Asian, African, and Caribbean heritage at The Drawing Room Tannery Arts in London focuses on our relationship with the environment. Curated by Natasha Ginwala, the show explores…
FIBERS OF MEMORY After graduating from the National College of Arts, Sabah Husain made a remarkable decision. She opted to go to Japan to study printmaking. The choice came with the challenges of learning Japanese and navigating her way in…
Recently I was asked at a local university about the future of art and creativity in the age of Artificial Intelligence (AI). As someone who belongs to the pre-computer generation, all the memories of the 1990s--- when a computerized manufacturing…
The Degree Show for the Masters of Visual Arts program at the National College of Arts showcased the works of eleven artists. Artists enrolled in the program often have some experience exhibiting, while others have prolific careers with regular shows…
When Salt Becomes Sanctuary The Pakistan Pavilion, Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan At the core of Expo 2025 Osaka --- whose theme, Designing Future Societies for Our Lives, imagines tomorrow’s world through today’s choices --- the Pakistan Pavilion emerges not…
When looking at the world in black and white takes a literal turn, and you soak your senses in the world of contradictions you find yourself amongst the works of Khalil Chishti and Adeel-uz Zafar. Works that defy gravity, intrigue…
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