The group exhibition ‘Unfolding Identities’, curated by Mohammad Zeeshan Haider Jamali, was recently on display at ArtCiti Gallery in Karachi and served as a delightful blend of various art forms and practices.

It is fascinating to see the traditional art form of embroidery re-emerging today and gaining renewed appreciation, especially in the art world, for its beauty, precision and expressive potential. Ahwar Nasir’s artwork Nano’s Secret Store is an example of an artwork that is re-engaging with this tradition.

With the textured surface of thread embroidery on cotton, she depicts stories hidden within everyday objects: folded and unfolded clothes and items scattered across Nano’s personal or intimate interior — possibly a storage space. The piled fabrics become metaphors for layered memories and personal histories. The title hints at nostalgia and the quiet intimacy of a space where a loved one’s life story is stored piece by piece.

Her second piece of embroidery on calico, titled Always in Transit, also celebrates nostalgia. A cluster of luggage — perhaps a life — locked inside suitcases and boxes appears to be waiting for travel, migration or........

© Dawn (Magazines)