ANDROON KI KAHANIYAAN 

I am currently collaborating with researcher Nigah Zahra on a project exploring the impact of climate change & modernization on historic architecture & urban spaces. Our focus is on a comparative study of Androon Pindi & Lahore, examining how these areas have been transformed by environmental shifts, government preservation efforts, & modernization.

My role as an artist centres on the undocumented cultural & architectural aspects of these spaces, highlighting their present state & projecting their futuristic trajectories through the integration of augmented reality (AR). Utilising my expertise in traditional miniature painting, I am creating layered, textured compositions that reflect the evolving essence of these historic sites. Simultaneously, I am experimenting with architectural materials to blend in traditional techniques with contemporary innovations, offering a nuanced perspective on the intersection of heritage, climate change & urban development.

Gilded Divide | mixed media | 30 x 30 in

Touch/Erasure? | gouache, graphite & heat sensitive paint | 15 x 10 in

The graphite drawing of a beautifully crafted wooden door from my photography of Androon Pindi becomes a metaphor for cultural erosion, where human touch (literal & systemic) wears away heritage. Whereas heat-sensitive paint in orange areas vanishes temporarily & turned into a pale green colour with a touch of hand. Over time, repeated touches permanently degrade the thermochromic pigment, just like state neglect erodes sites. Gouache white ghost lines depict core structural damage, a schematic overlay of the door’s internal framework.

Gilded Divide depicts Lahore’s privileged heritage with Pindi’s neglected past & present. Using material contrasts as a metaphor, the piece exposes how power, resources & cultural value are physically inscribed onto urban landscapes. *Real pigments (red brick, cement, lapis lazuli) are used in this work, treated by binding materials to make them compatible with the surface.

Material contrasts: cement vs. red brick - tea wash vs. coffee stain - Neon Blue vs. Lapis Lazuli - Silver Gouache vs. Silver Leaf - gold leaf vs gold spray.