Lahore-based artist Imran Qureshi, who is the recipient of the Asian Art Game Changer Award and the first Pakistani recipient of the Medal of Arts Award, recently opened his solo exhibition, titled ‘The Seeming Endless Path of Memory’ at the prestigious Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac in Paris.
“Imran Qureshi’s practice is rooted in the tradition of 16th century Mughal miniature art, encompassing figurative and abstract works on paper, painting and site-specific installation,” read the press statement. “Indeed, the exhibition title, ‘The Seeming Endless Path of Memory’, along with the titles of the works on display, echo the words of Pakistani poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz (1911-1984) which are prevailing throughout Qureshi’s work. They reveal various social and cultural connotations, and subtly reflect the threat of violence as a continuous motif.”
Imran Qureshi’s latest work features a prominent series of miniature paintings that depict subtle unity and separation through finely painted trees. The exhibit, ‘The Seeming Endless Path of Memory’, is all about the historical idea of ‘heaven’ in opposition to violence and nature - an idea that proves crucial in the understanding of Qureshi’s artistic universe.
Moreover, through this show, the artist not only reflects on the symbolic meaning of numbers but also draws upon the tradition of action painting by welcoming gravity and improvisation into the artistic process.
In the past, Qureshi has showcased his work internationally including at The Curve, Barbican Centre, London; the 55th Venice Biennale; The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; the 10th Sharjah Biennial and Asia Society Museum, New York.
