KARACHI – A n important figure in American Pakistan art circles, Lubna Agha’s work involves discourse with her personal history. While the revival of miniature paintings and calligraphy characterise much of modern Pakistani art and contemporary Islamic paintings, Agha’s work draws inspiration from the rich tradition of the past where the meditative and ornamental qualities of the original media take on new meaning and intimacy.
Her art invokes a dialogue between the modern abstract and the traditional forms and practices of Islamic paintings. This work taps into the profound energy found in ageless artefacts, architecture, manuscripts and motifs – from places as geographically disparate as South Asia and North Africa.
She paints mainly on canvas and wood, applying an infinite number of painted pixels and organic shapes that evoke mosaic tiling, intricate carvings and ornate metalwork. The total copse of her work resists categorisation.
Deeply rooted in her personal history, the work is not constrained in the rigid constructions of a traditional heritage. The result is a contemporary visual language that is compelling, richly aesthetic and stirring to the spirit. Her paintings point to a new and personal direction in modern Islamic art.
She has been the subject of numerous publications – critiques, monographs and a biography. Her paintings are a part of several private and public collections. Her work has been exhibited in art museums and galleries in her homelands of Pakistan and the United States, as well as Britain, Japan, Jordan and Switzerland.
Photos courtesy Lubna Agha
