Welcome to the October issue of ArtNow Pakistan. This month, we dedicate the issue to VM Art Gallery, an institution that has played a significant role in shaping Pakistan’s contemporary art landscape through its commitment to artistic expression, cultural exchange, and the nurturing of artists across generations.
At the heart of this issue is an interview by Maheen Aziz with Malika Rangoonwala, the current director of VM Art Gallery. The conversation explores the gallery’s history, its evolving programmes, and Malika’s efforts to expand its reach while preserving the vision of its founder, Riffat Alavi, whose contribution has been central to the institution’s identity. This issue recognises both Alavi’s lasting legacy and Malika’s continued work in carrying it forward.
Our coverage also looks at the wider art scene, with exhibitions opening across Karachi and beyond. Adeela Suleman’s exhibition at Canvas Gallery in Karachi brings attention to her ongoing artistic practice, while her presentation at Grosvenor Gallery in London extends this conversation to an international audience. Together, these exhibitions reflect the varied contexts in which Pakistani artists are developing and presenting their work.
Adeela Suleman’s exhibition at Canvas brings together sculptural forms that draw on South Asian visual traditions and familiar motifs of power, mythology, and ornamentation. In one work, a dark, intricately carved wooden horse features a rib-like structure across its body, with a horned figure nestled within it. Decorative floral elements and smaller carved forms surround the horse, transforming the sculpture into an elaborate composition that combines craftsmanship with an unsettling, fantastical imagery.
The Rising Crescendo of the Band Baja, a compelling exhibition opened in London at Grosvenor Gallery presented in association with Canvas Art Gallery. Drawing on the visual language of South Asian wedding processions, ceremonial spectacle, and heroic imagery, Suleman transforms familiar cultural references into striking sculptural narratives. Her works bring together horses, warriors, and intricate decorative forms, exploring the relationship between spectacle, power, tradition, and collective memory.
Through a combination of elaborate craftsmanship and bold visual interventions, Suleman reimagines these recognisable motifs in unexpected ways. A richly carved wooden horse, its body revealing an intricate skeletal structure, evokes a tension between ornament and mortality, while a vividly coloured, geometric horse bearing a fallen warrior transforms the familiar imagery of conquest into a fragmented, contemporary composition. These contrasting approaches demonstrate Suleman’s ability to balance visual exuberance with more unsettling undercurrents. Extending her practice to London, The Rising Crescendo of the Band Baja brings the cultural references embedded in her work into an international context, inviting audiences to engage with the layered narratives and histories that inform her artistic vision.
Hamra Abbas is among the artists presenting work at Frieze in Abu Dhabi, bringing her distinctive practice to an important international platform. Her participation highlights the continued presence of Pakistani artists within broader conversations around contemporary art.
Imran Qureshi is also showcasing his work at the fair. Known for his distinctive approach to painting and his engagement with tradition and contemporary experience, Qureshi’s participation offers another perspective on the range of artistic practices represented by Pakistani artists internationally.
Across this issue, we bring together the people, institutions, and exhibitions shaping contemporary art, from the longstanding contribution of VM Art Gallery to the work of artists exhibiting locally and internationally. We hope these stories offer readers a closer look at the ideas and efforts sustaining Pakistan’s art community.
Bye for NOW !!