hat Studio’s maiden exhibition displayed the work of several established and budding artists. The peculiar space surrounded by the guava gardens scented the evening as one walked towards the strange bungalow hosting the artworks.

Guava plants glistened verdantly under the twilight. The fruit was tempting, almost to the point of causing one to pluck it its branch and taste the crisp tanginess of its flesh. However, a certain hesitation persisted. One should not, after all, disturb the flora in their hour of sleep which had just begun.

The show titled Home and Other Strange Things was conceived by artists Faheem Abbas and Ahmed Umer in collaboration with Dhundli Zameen Apparel, which also showcased their clothing items alongside the artworks.

The concept note revolved around an excerpt from Italo Calvino’s novel, Invisible Cities in which he introduces tiny, invisible entities that occupy domestic spaces regardless of their formal tenants. To him, these species have been there before the construction of the houses. They reside in it and will continue to live even after a demolition of these spaces and the erection of new ones in their place.

Faheem Abbas visualised several of these divine beings by situating them in niches and window sills of the old bungalow. However, only two groups of small sculptures were visible the space. If they truly dwelled there in a nonlinear sense of time, they should have been semi-discernable in every nook and cranny of the makeshift gallery space, living individually if not in batches packed together redundantly.

Residing away from the war-torn Gaza, one can only comprehend the scale of the horrors from afar. Ali Raza’s work critiques the perspective of the onlookers, emphasising humanity’s emotional and geographical detachment from the ongoing devastation.

These artworks are the outcome of a collaboration with Emad El Bayed, a humanitarian worker based in Gaza who has been documenting the destruction since the onset of the war in October 2023.

Using Emad’s images of collapsed buildings, Ali Raza has replaced the darker sections with reflective surfaces, incorporating the viewer’s reflection into the surrounding chaos.

Qadir Jhatial has archived a part of a deconstructed religious site, ready to be transported elsewhere on a trolley. The photograph not only generates a dialogue on the desecration of places of worship specific to minorities but also on the selected aspects of theological doctrines preferred by various sects that cater to their taste.

Ali Raza’s artworks critique the perspective of the onlookers, emphasising humanity’s emotional and geographical detachment from ongoing devastation.

Wajeeha Batool’s vibrant prints draw inspiration from diverse sources, including fairy tales, movies and video games, all of which played significant roles in her childhood memories. Her work examines the relationship between digital language and the forms and patterns found in nature; often using pixel art to create organic and natural scenes while blending structured, calculated designs. She emphasises capturing and depicting minute details in a way that is both clear and poetic.

Ali Raza, Another Day, Another Site IV. — Photo Courtesy: Emad El Bayed, UV printing on mirror

Rabbania Shirjeel and Waqas Amjad have worked on similar subjects related to windows and curtains but had different trajectories. Rabbania has resorted to expression of personal narratives, nostalgia and co-existence in a social-cultural sphere, documenting an illuminated window with a translucent view of the outside world. Waqas has used dense materials, such as fire and opaque acrylic, to construct casts of slightly parted curtains on a brick wall. Although his work showcases immaculate skill on the surface despite being a three-dimensional form, it seems superficial and rudimentary in relation to Rabbania’s phantasmal photography.

Ali Arshad has depicted Henry David Thoreau’s idea of Paradise Regained as a key theme in his artwork. His earthwork acts like a museum highlighting the struggles faced by humankind and dealing with various systems in nature that eventually influence our thinking.

The artwork includes a pair of goldfish that move through a large-size kiddy pool. A peculiar windowless curtain and an annotated framed page of the essay are hung next to it. This appears to be an attempt to represent current reality with tangible symbols of love, light and prosperity.

Even though Arshad’s work looks for ways to justify our digital carbon footprints, his arabesque visual language is not cohesive with the variety of components displayed together as these overarching elements overwhelm the principal experience.