People and Places 3

30.48 x 40.64 cm

Pakistan 

People and Places is an ongoing series that explores the relationship between humans and land, as well as emotion and memory. This body of work consists of four paintings, each depicting a unique dialogue between an individual and a location. The compositions bring together historical or cultural figures in spaces that may or may not be directly associated with them. The selection of individuals and locations attempts to create a fictional relationship in the viewer’s mind.

Among these, two paintings focus on Mirza Ghalib and Amrita Pritam in Lahore. Painting Ghalib in Lahore is an attempt to construct a semi-real, imagined narrative, as there is no historical record confirming his presence in the city. In contrast, Amrita Pritam’s association with Lahore is deeply personal—she was forced to leave the city during the Partition of India and Pakistan, and her poetry reflects her longing for it. These paintings question the legitimacy of a person’s connection to a place, sometimes blurring the lines between history and fiction.

This series is an ongoing project, and similar works will continue to emerge in the future, further expanding on the relationship between people and the spaces they inhabit—whether real, imagined, or somewhere in between.