London Exhibition Showcases 26 South Asian Artists Exploring Shared Histories and Resilience

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News London - 18th March 2025

A Landmark Exhibition at SOAS Gallery Brings Together South Asian Artists with a Powerful Narrative on Identity and Resistance

London’s art scene is about to get a bold, boundary-pushing injection of South Asian creativity. This spring, (Un)Layering the Future Past of South Asia: Young Artists’ Voices will take over SOAS Gallery, featuring works from 26 emerging and established artists across six South Asian countries. Opening 11 April 2025, the exhibition presents a powerful mix of painting, sculpture, textiles, photography, video, and installation.

This showcase is not just about individual expression; it’s about collective resilience, shared histories, and cultural interconnectedness across India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Afghanistan. With many artists exhibiting in London for the first time, this is a rare opportunity to witness new perspectives from a region marked by tradition, tension, and transformation.

Exploring South Asian Art Through a Contemporary Lens

The exhibition, curated by Salima Hashmi and Manmeet K. Walia, delves into urgent themes like gender justice, displacement, ecological fragility, and political unrest. These works aren’t just visually stunning—they’re calls to action, encouraging dialogue on the realities shaping modern South Asia.

According to curator Salima Hashmi, the exhibition reveals how history continues to shape contemporary art. “The art emerging from the region carries a profound sense of history while embracing new vocabularies that address pressing concerns in South Asia today,” she explains.

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Curator Manmeet K. Walia highlights the process behind the exhibition. “We’ve travelled across South Asia, meeting artists and tracing the threads that tie their work to a shared history,” she says. “This show is a journey of collaborations, connections, and discovery.”

Spotlight on Artists and Their Groundbreaking Works

Afghanistan’s Stories of Struggle and Strength

Afghan artists featured in the exhibition include:

  • Kubra Khademi, whose politically charged gouache paintings reflect the country’s natural resources and ongoing turmoil.
  • Hadi Rahnaward, presenting Fragile Balance (2023), a matchstick-based work symbolizing Afghanistan’s history of conflict.
  • Sher Ali, whose Screen Weaves II (2024–2025), made in collaboration with Afghan women embroiderers, amplifies voices often left unheard.

Bangladesh’s Fight Against Oppression

Artists from Bangladesh spotlight marginalized communities:

  • Ashfika Rahman, 2024 Future Generation Art Prize winner, showcases Redeem (2021–22), a collaboration with the indigenous Orao community.
  • Ayesha Sultana presents glass sculptures linking folklore with contemporary resistance.

India’s Commentary on Protest and Identity

Indian artists explore themes of protest, oppression, and collective memory:

  • Moonis Ahmad exhibits Echographies of the Invisible (2023), a surreal video piece navigating Kashmir’s turbulent history.
  • Aban Raza paints politically charged canvases addressing caste oppression and farmers’ suicides.
  • Varunika Saraf presents The Longest Revolution II (2024), an intricate embroidery depicting women as symbols of resistance.

Pakistan’s Reflection on Power and Society

Artists from Pakistan bring a research-based approach to personal and political histories:

  • Aisha Abid Hussain presents Lived Realities (2023), layering archival nikahnamas (marriage contracts) with miniature painting techniques to question societal norms.
  • Ghulam Mohammad, winner of the Jameel Art Prize, showcases a mixed-media reflection on fragmented identities.

Sri Lanka’s Exploration of Migration and Memory

Sri Lankan artists tackle colonial legacies, migration, and civil war:

  • Hema Shiron’s My Family Is Not In The List (2024) is an embroidered narrative of displacement.
  • Pradeep Thalawatta and Rinoshan Susiman present works bridging history and contemporary struggles.

A Cross-Border Artistic Collaboration

One of the exhibition’s most striking pieces is Hum Bhi Dekhein Ge (2024–25), a collaboration between Indian artist Purvai Rai and Pakistani designer Maheen Kazim. Inspired by the Partition of India, the project revives lost khes textile traditions, paying homage to Punjab’s once-unified artistic legacy.

A Global Platform for South Asian Voices

Supported by The Ravi Jain Memorial Foundation and Dhoomimal Gallery, the exhibition marks a significant moment for South Asian contemporary art. Uday Jain, director of Dhoomimal Gallery, emphasizes its importance: “Young artists across South Asia grapple with similar issues—politics, memory, history, and identity. We are proud to support these varied stories.”

With its bold themes and boundary-breaking artists, (Un)Layering the Future Past is set to be one of London’s most thought-provoking exhibitions this year.

Source: https://londonite.co.uk/south-asian-art-exhibition-london/