Location: VM Art Gallery, Karachi, Pakistan.
Curator: Malaaika Rangoonwala
Year: 2024

Artist Statement:
Alefiya’s work delves into the spiritual exploration of the “Breath of the Compassionate” pattern, drawing inspiration from Islamic traditions. The concept encompasses the symbolic representation of harmony and unity through the pattern’s symmetry and balance, as well as the deeper spiritual significance related to the Divine Breath a s described in the teachings o f Ibn al-‘Arabi. The design serves as a reminder of the two stages of the soul, analogous to the expansion and contraction of the chest, and seeks to evoke the ideal concept of existence being synonymous with compassion, despite its occasional distance.

Artworks:

• Bait
  Size: 22×22 inches.
  Medium: Pastels and Handmade Gouache (zinc white) on Arches Paper.
  
  
• Nafas Al Rahman – i
  Size: 22×22 inches.
  Medium: Lead and Handmade Gouache (lamp black) on Arches paper.
  
  
• Nafas Al Rahman – ii
  Size: 22×22 inches.
  Medium: Lead and Handmade Gouache (lamp black) on Arches paper.
  
  
• Nafas Al Rahman – iii
  Size: 22×22 inches.
  Medium: Lead and Handmade Gouache (lamp black) on Arches paper.
  
  
• Qaida – i
  Size: 8×8 inches.
  Medium: Handmade Gouache (zinc white) on Arches paper.
  
  
• Qaida – ii
  Size: 8×8 inches.
  Medium: Handmade Gouache (zinc white) on Arches paper.
  
  
• Shams ud duha
  Size: 8×11 inches.
  Medium: 24ct shell gold, moon shell gold, natural pigments on recycled plant fibre handmade Parwana paper.
  
  
• Badr ul duja
  Size: 8×11 inches.
  Medium: 24ct shell gold, moon shell gold, natural pigments on recycled plant fibre handmade Parwana paper.
  
  
• Al Asr
  Size: 8×11 inches.
  Medium: 24ct shell gold, moon shell gold, natural pigments on recycled plant fibre handmade Parwana paper.
   
• Tawheed
  Size: 7×14 inches.
  Medium: Raised 24ct gold on Indigo dyed hemp paper.