Saad Qureshi
Saad Qureshi, Sighting the Hereafter, 2021, Acrylic, ink, paper on birch plywood, 78.74 x 59.1 in
Saad Qureshi, A Pot of Gold, 2021, Acrylic, ink, paper on birch plywood, 78.74 x 59.1 in
Saad Qureshi, Saint Warrior, 2021, Acrylic, ink, paper on birch plywood, 78.74 x 59.1 in
Saad Qureshi, Intervention from Above, 2021, Acrylic, ink, paper on birch plywood, 78.74 x 59.1 in
Saad Qureshi, Blood River, 2021, Acrylic, ink, paper on birch plywood, 78.74 x 59.1 in
Saad Qureshi, One Wise Man, 2021, Acrylic, ink, paper on birch plywood, 78.74 x 59.1 in
Saad Qureshi, The Once and Future King, 2021, Acrylic, ink, paper on birch plywood, 78.74 x 59.1 in
Saad Qureshi, Advisory Board, 2021, Woven paper, 11.2 x 7.09 in
Saad Qureshi, Al Aqsa, 2021, Woven paper, 8.86 x 9.01 in
Saad Qureshi, Arch, 2021, Woven paper, 14.76 x 10.04 in
Saad Qureshi, Bengal Tiger, 2021, Woven paper, 19.9 x 12.2 in
Saad Qureshi, Bridal Jewel, 2021, Woven paper, 9.3 x 9.1 in
Saad Qureshi, Celebrated Red Fire, 2021, Woven paper, 12.4 x 8.7 in
Saad Qureshi, Colour and Peace, 2021, Woven paper, 12.8 x 9.45 in
Saad Qureshi, Dark Horse, 2021, Woven paper, 14.4 x 9.5 in
Saad Qureshi, Diagonal, 2021, Woven paper, 13 x 9.45 in
Saad Qureshi, Double Arched, 2021, Woven paper, 13.2 x 8.7 in
Saad Qureshi, Earth and Grass, 2021, Woven paper, 18.1 x 11.6 in
Saad Qureshi, Empire, 2021, Woven paper, 12.2 x 9.8 in
Saad Qureshi, Family Affairs, 2021, Woven paper, 13 x 7.9 in
Saad Qureshi, Gents Zone, 2021, Woven paper, 13 x 9.5 in
Saad Qureshi, Haldi Night, 2021, Woven paper, 13.4 x 9.8 in
Saad Qureshi, Hunters' Pride, 2021, Woven paper, 12.8 x 7.7 in
Saad Qureshi, Intervention, 2021, Woven paper, 13.39 x 13.19 in
Saad Qureshi, Ladies Zone, 2021, Woven paper, 13.4 x 9.5 in
Saad Qureshi, Left Wing, 2021, Woven paper, 11.6 x 9.65 in
Saad Qureshi, Matrix, 2021, Woven paper, 14.76 x 11.42 in
Saad Qureshi, Soiled Treasure, 2021, Woven paper, 20.3 x 12.2 in
Saad Qureshi, Tabreeza, 2021, Woven paper, 20.5 x 12.2 in
Saad Qureshi, Three Rulers, 2021, Woven paper, 12.8 x 8.27 in
Saad Qureshi, Traveller's Tales, 2021, Woven paper, 11.6 x 7.7 in
Saad Qureshi, Verdict, 2021, Woven paper, 13 x 11.02 in
Collecting rugs and books from their library, Qureshi photographed all the important textiles he grew up with, cutting them in strips and re-weaving them into paper tapestries and bringing several patterns together to form completely new designs. The action of weaving, at once intimate and meditative, provided a still centre amid the ebb and flow of Lockdown domesticity. Using many different rugs in each Tanabana tapestry, Qureshi pays homage to craft and the fruit of many lifetimes of practice, and re-interprets it, bringing his own skills as a maker into a dialogue with those of generations before him.
Taking his unique new Tanabana textile designs and referring back to the family library, Qureshi has also conceived seven new monumental works. He took inspiration from the Sabaq-Amoz Kahaniyan, exemplary tales shared for generations as moral stories to instil good character in children. Each story illustrates a particular lesson, serving either as a caution or as a salutary example to follow. Homing in on passages or moments from these books, Qureshi brings their protagonists and landscapes to life and clothes them in his Tanabana designs. Removed from their immediate narratives, these faceless figures connect to folk traditions of storytelling dating back thousands of years, and across continents. A celebration of ornament and colour, the works combine drawing, collage and screen-printing in his most intricate and exuberant series to date.
Installation photography by Sebastian Bach