The show will feature voices of a changing South Asia, reflecting on common preoccupations, tradition, co-existence, and interconnectedness in the region.
An exhibition featuring works by 26 emerging and established artists from six South Asian countries, including newly commissioned pieces, will open on April 11, at SOAS Gallery in London. With many of the artists exhibiting in London for the first time, (Un)Layering the Future Past of South Asia: Young Artists' Voices will provide a global platform for a new generation of South Asian artists spotlighting shared histories and resilience in the region.
This is the first exhibition in London supported by The Ravi Jain Memorial Foundation, a beacon to promote emerging art and nurture young talent in India established by Dhoomimal Gallery, India.
Curated by Salima Hashmi and Manmeet K. Walia, the exhibition brings together artists from six countries — India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Afghanistan, whose works explore urgent themes such as ecological fragility, gender justice, displacement, and political unrest. Through painting, sculpture, textiles, photography, video work and installation, the artists invite viewers to reflect on the region's shared experiences and challenges.
"As a curator and an art practitioner from South Asia, I find it essential to explore how the past continues to shape contemporary art practices. The art emerging from the region is diverse in its sensibilities — thoughtful yet deeply engaged, critically examining collective memory across cultures. It carries a profound sense of history while embracing new vocabularies that address pressing concerns in South Asia today," Curator Salima Hashmi said.
Highlight works from Afghanistan include pieces by Kubra Khademi, the Hazara artist and performer forced to flee Afghanistan. Khademi will present a series of
gouaches depicting the country’s precious resources. Ashfika Rahman and Ayesha Sultana from Bangladesh will present mixed-media works addressing the struggles of marginalized communities under violent oppression.
From India, Kashmiri artist Moonis Ahmad will present Echographies of the Invisible (2023), a video work that takes viewers on a surreal journey through space and time. From Nepal, visual and performance artist Amrit Karki will exhibit Whisper (2021), a sound installation featuring whispered words in 50 languages.
From Pakistan, research-based artist Aisha Abid Hussain will present Lived Realities (2023), a work composed of archival 'nikahnamas' (marriage contracts), and from Sri Lanka, Hema Shiron will present My Family Is Not In The List (2024), an embroidered work tracing local histories of colonization and civil war.
Mirroring the curatorial cross-border collaboration of the exhibition, Indian artist Purvai Rai and Pakistani designer Maheen Kazim present their first collaboration, Hum bhi dekhein ge (“We too shall see”) (2024–25). The project revisits the Partition through the loss of khes textiles.
