THE MIRAGE
THE MIRAGE
Participated in the inaugural NCA Triennale, 'Kasb e Kamal Kun,' celebrating 150 years of NCA, with an art installation of handcrafted stainless steel fish on a 10x18 feet wall, showcasing Pakistani Truck Art metalwork and research-based spatial storytelling.
Mirage — Where Stillness Learns to Swim
Hundreds of metallic fish flow in spirals, creating the feeling of motion within stillness. From a distance, they seem alive — swimming together toward an unseen center — yet up close, they reveal themselves as fragments of reflection and shadow.
NCA Triennial, Lahore 2025
From far away, the fish appear to swim together as one living body, flowing in silent harmony.
The Essence: Kasb-e-Kamal Kun
The debut edition, titled Kasb-e-Kamal Kun, drew its inspiration directly from the college’s historic Persian motto:
"Seek excellence in your work, so you may be admired by the world."
The Triennale explored the philosophy of the "working hand"—the idea that through the relentless pursuit of technical mastery and artistic excellence, a creator can transcend traditional boundaries and redefine creative and intellectual limits.
NCA Triennial, Lahore 2025
In 2025, the National College of Arts (NCA), Lahore, celebrated a monumental milestone: 150 Years of Excellence. Established in 1875 as the Mayo School of Art, the institution marked its sesquicentennial by launching the inaugural NCA Triennale.
This landmark event served as the pinnacle of a year-long celebration, featuring a rich tapestry of archival displays, visual and performing arts, architectural exhibitions, and high-level academic symposia.
Between Reality and Reflection
The forms seem to swim, yet they never move.
They exist in a space between shadow and light, presence and illusion.
What you see depends on where you stand, and how long you choose to look.
The surface captures light, but it also captures memory.
Each reflection becomes part of the viewer’s own story.
In this silence, movement is imagined — and imagination becomes real.
THE MIRAGE
In Mirage Exhibition, I placed silver fish on a quiet wall, like memories swimming in an empty ocean.
From far away, they look alive, but when you come closer, they disappear into light and shadow.
This work is about illusion — how we chase things that shine, thinking they are real.
Like a mirage in the desert, beauty appears, fades, and lives only in our eyes.
