New exhibition at IKON Birmingham

Mangla Dam © Mahtab Hussain. From the series Going Back Home to Where I Came From (2016)

A Rich Tapestry

An exhibition curated by Jonathan Watkins and Aisha

Khalid at the Lahore Biennale

26 January – 29 February 2020


Farwa Moledina,
You must choose your part in the end (2020).

Ikon participates in the second Lahore Biennale (LB02), presenting artwork by four artists from its current programme in an exhibition curated by Jonathan Watkins and Aisha Khalid. Work by Mahtab Hussain, Matthew Krishanu, Farwa Moledina and Osman Yousefzada, all of South Asian British heritage, will be shown alongside that of two prominent Pakistani artists, Ali Kazim and Imran Qureshi.

The exhibition takes place in three venues, including two of Khalid’s studio spaces which she is sharing to encourage cultural exchange. A collateral project for the Lahore Biennale, A Rich Tapestry combines painting (Krishanu), photography (Hussain) installation and fashion (Yousefzada) and textiles (Moledina). The Lahore-based artists (Kazim and Qureshi) present site-specific installations at a third venue, a dis-used brick factory. The works in A Rich Tapestry address issues such as displacement, violence – both domestic and geopolitical – and gender politics, offering significant correspondence with Khalid’s own artistic practice.

For the British artists involved, A Rich Tapestry will be a mini-residency. It will generate significant opportunities for widening their professional horizons, including meeting many artists and curators, both resident and those visiting Lahore for the Biennale. Likewise, visitors to the exhibition will gain first-hand insights into the UK art scene.

Ikon’s investment in young and emerging artists has clearly been worthwhile, with many going on to flourish in their professional careers. Having already worked with each of the artists exhibiting in Lahore, we remain committed to them, keen to assist in their next steps towards greater success. Jonathan Watkins, Ikon Director