f an artist’s solo exhibition is described as a book, then each work is a chapter. Ruby Chishti’s latest show, The World is a Loose Stitch II (February 20 – April 26, Rohtas 2, Lahore), can be read as a collection of segments that appear independent in terms of imagery, content, technique and material, yet together form the totality of what Chishti has expressed in her previous work displayed at various venues.

Since her student days at the National College of Arts, Ruby Chishti has been recognised for handling her subjects and surfaces with great sensitivity. I still recall a particular painting, Punjab Timbers (1988), depicting an ordinary lumberyard, with details of firewood, saw machines and a dusty background rendered in softened and subtle layers of brownish paint. After such a long time, one may not remember the exact hue, complete view or precise details, but the atmosphere Chishti created through her brush and palette remains unforgettable.

The present exhibition – held 40 years later and following numerous achievements, including the prestigious Joan Mitchell Prize 2024 – appears to be stitched to those past, now almost forgotten attempts. The looseness of marks, the fascination with earthy tones and the attention to discarded materials remain. However, the shift from two-dimensional to three-dimensional formats; from naturalistic rendering to imaginative translation; and from an academic understanding of the external world to an in-depth exploration of reality are the results of her artistic journey. Certain similarities persist – uncanny but significant in unfolding the aesthetics of Ruby Chishti, who lives and works in New York City.

An artist who studied in Europe and has exhibited internationally once shared an interesting observation: in the West, people dispose of dysfunctional or outdated household items – chairs, sofas, tables, TV sets, refrigerators and kitchen gadgets – by leaving them outside their buildings or in bins. In contrast, in our society, even small plastic shopping bags are often kept for reuse – whether for storage, carrying items or giving away food and fruit to beggars. This culture of hoarding and recycling is deeply ingrained, a practice industrial nations are beginning to acknowledge as they generate vast amounts of environmentally hazardous waste, much of which is ultimately deposited on the shores of the Global South.

In regions where families hold onto traditions, mothers, aunts and grandmothers never discard unused fabric patches, discoloured clothes or torn garments. Instead, these materials are repurposed – stitched into fabric dolls, small pouches, buttons or incorporated into other household items. In such cultures, a sewing machine was often given as part of a woman’s dowry – a symbol of domestic skill, a means of making decisions about her own and her children’s clothing and a safeguard for financial independence in times of economic hardship.

Through this work, Chishti reclaims her lost childhood, her abandoned home and the presence of her late mother.

Ruby Chishti’s solo exhibition seems to tell the story of these matriarchs – ever-present and larger-than-life figures who provided everything for their children while paying little attention to their own appearance, clothing or weight. Once they are gone, their physical legacy is often reduced to the old sewing machines still found on the mantels of many modern homes.

Chishti’s mixed-media sculpture, The World is a Loose Stitch, presents a black sewing machine on a wooden stand, transformed into a horse with the head of a water buffalo and a soft toy creature riding on it. The horse – historically a symbol of male power, grace and supremacy – is crafted from glittering fabric and sequins, materials typically associated with women’s garments. Traditionally, the image of a person rearing a horse represents emperors, generals or figures of authority displaying their strength. However, in Chishti’s sculpture, the rider’s gender is ambiguous, resembling a young girl wearing a shiny hood over flowing pink hair, subtly challenging notions of power and identity.

This reversal of gender roles and status can be traced in the artist’s statement: “My work draws inspiration from the humility and reverence of male Punjabi Sufi poets who adopted the female voice to challenge societal norms.” This humility is also reflected in Ruby Chishti’s choice of materials. Most of the five artworks in the exhibition are created from recycled clothing, thread and wool, combined with cardboard, polyester, foam and wire mesh. These easily accessible, inexpensive materials reflect the artist’s approach – subtle, intimate and deeply personal, like a whispered observation or quiet reflection.

The softness in her craftsmanship mirrors the way she speaks – slowly, warmly and passionately. She recounts her artistic journey, which has evolved over the years, from her ground-breaking installation at the Vasl workshop in Gadani in 2000 to her latest pieces from 2024.

Across Chishti’s three-decade career, recurring themes and motifs emerge. Her Gadani installation (I Dreamt of a Space) transformed black trash bags into crows, marking the beginning of her engagement with recycled materials. Over the years, she has worked with a range of unconventional materials – straws, rags, threads – but the act of repurposing remains central to her practice. Her work frequently features buffalos and groups of women, motifs that appear repeatedly.

This exhibition continues that pattern, featuring a piece with four buffalos resting against a wall and two sculptures of women huddled together, one standing on a traditional dastarkhwan. The buffalos, crafted from recycled fabric, evoke the image of elderly women resting against the walls of a home rather than a gallery. Meanwhile, the figures of clustered women resemble fragile dolls – simple, yet evocative of resilience and memory.

In this sense, both buffalos and women serve as metaphors. The English word metaphor originates from the Greek word meaning transfer, a concept deeply embedded in Ruby Chishti’s journey. Having moved from Lahore to the USA in 2002, she – like many migrants – carried not only her physical belongings but also her emotional baggage: memories, desires and sorrows.

Some of the work in The World is a Loose Stitch II may appear as mere representations of buffalos and women to visitors. However, for an artist who left her hometown following her mother’s passing, the buffalos might symbolise the elderly family members who shaped her upbringing, while the small, rag-fabricated women with woollen hair could resemble the cherished dolls of childhood – objects that remain meaningful even in adulthood. Both serve as a way to reconnect with one’s mother, childhood and ultimately, home.

These deeply personal themes culminate in her wall installation, The City of Children – a striking composition featuring an enlarged frock of a young girl, intricately constructed from tiny houses. Layers of window and door frames, balconies and architectural details within the fabric folds resemble miniature dollhouses, evoking a sense of nostalgia and longing.

Through this work, Chishti reclaims her lost childhood, her abandoned home and the presence of her late mother. The imagery of the young girl – perhaps a reflection of Ruby herself – recalls a child who collects seemingly insignificant objects: bottle caps, buttons, candy wrappers, tiny stones. To outsiders, these may appear as disposable fragments of the past, but for the child – and for all of us who were once children – they are treasured keepsakes imbued with meaning and memory.

The writer is a visual artist, an art critic, a curator and a professor at the School of Visual Arts and Design, Beaconhouse National University, Lahore