Ethereal Light: The Art of Fluid Expression
The material comes alive on the canvas through the play of light, delicately breaking and traveling through each form and wave crafted by this refined artist. Abstract paintings, often in soft whites or iridescent hues, offer a tactile experience where light takes center stage. As time passes, light transforms the artwork, inviting viewers to witness its shifting essence.
These minimalist pieces create a seamless flow within a space, bringing calm, freedom, and serenity. Acting as windows to an ethereal realm, the light dances across textures, illuminating every corner with its radiant glow. They effortlessly brighten any environment, offering a meditative experience that touches the soul and transforms the surroundings. The interplay of color, form, and light invites a personal dialogue between the artwork and the observer, making each encounter a unique journey.
Ethereal Light: The Art of Fluid Expression
The material comes alive on the canvas through the play of light, delicately breaking and traveling through each form and wave crafted by this refined artist. Abstract paintings, often in soft whites or iridescent hues, offer a tactile experience where light takes center stage. As time passes, light transforms the artwork, inviting viewers to witness its shifting essence.
These minimalist pieces create a seamless flow within a space, bringing calm, freedom, and serenity. Acting as windows to an ethereal realm, the light dances across textures, illuminating every corner with its radiant glow. They effortlessly brighten any environment, offering a meditative experience that touches the soul and transforms the surroundings. The interplay of color, form, and light invites a personal dialogue between the artwork and the observer, making each encounter a unique journey.
Meet The Artist
Meherunnisa Asad (Studio Lél)
Biography & General Practice
Meherunnisa Asad is an interdisciplinary artist and designer born in Peshawar, Pakistan. Growing up in a region profoundly affected by conflict and witnessing the influx of displaced individuals from Afghanistan, her work is often inspired by the ways people discover beauty amidst adversity. Asad’s practice delves into the storytelling potential of art, collaborating with local and displaced Afghan master artisans in her hometown to explore art's role in reshaping identity.Through her practice, she seeks to preserve the legacy of traditional art forms by employing handcrafted techniques such as pietra dura (stone inlay), scagliola (plaster-pouring), cloisonné (enameling), labidary (gem cutting) and copper-making.
From an early age, Asad was surrounded by art and antiques, with the vibrant bazaars of historic Peshawar just a few kilometers away. Many afternoons were spent exploring shops with her mother and siblings, experiences that sparked her interest in decorative arts and later crystallized during her role as a conservation architect with the Aga Khan Historic Cities Program.
As Artistic Director, Asad has elevated Studio Lél, founded by her mother, Farhana Asad, three decades ago, to international acclaim, showcasing its work at major biennales and art exhibitions while receiving recognition in leading publications.An award recipient of the Gates Foundation, Asad is a graduate of the National College of Arts in Lahore and the Pratt Institute in New York.
Studio Lél is a renowned atelier based in Peshawar, Pakistan, founded in the early 1990s by Farhana Asad. Now under the artistic vision of her daughter Meherunnisa Asad, the studio is particularly celebrated for its pioneering approach to traditional stonework. It skillfully merges techniques like pietra dura with other ancient methods such as cloisonné, scagliola, verré eglomisé, lapidary and copper making to produce contemporary artworks. Dedicated to reshaping identity through art, Studio Lél collaborates with local and displaced Afghan artisans, creating a platform for beauty and storytelling in areas impacted by conflict and displacement. The studio continues to expand its global presence while staying true to its roots exhibiting its work at prominent biennales and art shows.
Site- Specific Project Description
The city's bazaars and antique shops left a lasting imprint on my imagination, resonating with the energy of Lahore’s Spice Bazaar and the floral frescoes of the Shahi Hammam. Despite their histories of conflict, both Peshawar and Lahore flourished as cities of gardens under the Mughal Empire. My work honors this resilient spirit through a series titled ‘War Gardens.’
Through my work, I weave together the transmission of valuable knowledge and intangible heritage, exploring the precarious balance between nature and humanity. My site-specific intervention at the Shahi Hammam reflects this exploration, creating layers of meaning that invite deeper engagement with the complexities of our shared history and environment.
Site- Specific Project Description
The city's bazaars and antique shops left a lasting imprint on my imagination, resonating with the energy of Lahore’s Spice Bazaar and the floral frescoes of the Shahi Hammam. Despite their histories of conflict, both Peshawar and Lahore flourished as cities of gardens under the Mughal Empire. My work honors this resilient spirit through a series titled ‘War Gardens.’
Through my work, I weave together the transmission of valuable knowledge and intangible heritage, exploring the precarious balance between nature and humanity. My site-specific intervention at the Shahi Hammam reflects this exploration, creating layers of meaning that invite deeper engagement with the complexities of our shared history and environment.
The painstaking process of embroidery mirrors the slow erosion of natural and cultural heritage, where every stitch can be seen as an attempt to hold on to what may inevitably be lost if we do not act.
The intimate scale of each handkerchief is in stark contrast to the larger environmental and societal crises presented in the exhibition—consumerism, migration, and urbanization. Yet, through this contrast, the work reminds us that the small, personal acts of care and connection are often where preservation begins. As the Shahi Hammam stands as a reminder of what is at stake, so too do my handkerchiefs serve as quiet, tactile witnesses to the delicate balance between love and loss, and between the world we cherish and the one we risk losing.
ArtSoch was launched in 2020; since then, the gallery has become a prominent destination for contemporary art from Pakistan. We consistently open exhibitions, featuring a mix of regional and global academic artists from the South Asian diaspora, working in diverse media; whose practices are dynamic in style , rigorously investigated and grasp gist of our time.
OPENING
ADDRESS
Event: Friday, 4 Oct 24
5:00 Pm to 9:00 Pm
Shahi Hamam, Dehli Gate
Walled City Lahore
OPENING
Event: Friday, 4 Oct 24
5:00 Pm to 9:00 Pm
ADDRESS
Shahi Hamam, Dehli Gate
Walled City Lahore