Pakistani artist Aisha Khalid juxtaposes very precise rules of geometry with the intangibility of spirituality and religion in her exhibition “The Divine Is In The Detail,” on display at Gallery Isabelle Van Den Eynde in Dubai until November 8.
Trained in Mughal miniaturist traditions, Khalid believes that mathematics is a form of “divine knowledge” and has covered canvas in intricate, precise shapes and details and disrupting forms to explore the relationship between order, endless possibilities, and spirituality in life. The shapes were inspired by classic Islamic geometric patterns but given a modern twist.
The exhibit mainly consists of paintings but there are also two jackets on display: one red and one black but identical patterns and a number of pins protruding from the jacket’s hems. Titled Yourself Of Yourself, Khalid uses the work to relate the pain of one’s ambiguity on the self and toward others.
Khalid is part of an artist movement in Pakistan which is using traditional miniature painting techniques, a decorative art, to address modern political and social issues. Newsweek magazine named her one of the 100 Women Who Matter in Pakistan. Her work can be found in permanent collections of institution including the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Fuuoka Asian Art Museum, and the World Bank.
For more information visit the Gallery Isabelle Van Den Eynde website.
