Karachi III

b. 1976, Pakistan; based in Lahore

Having had a traumatic childhood as an immigrant Indian muhajir in Pakistan, Waseem Ahmed chooses to paint miniatures because it is the only medium he feels portrays painful subjects in delicate ways. Despite a focus on contemporary political issues, his commentary is often complicated by the intervention of symbols and imageries derived from major world religions. The results is a blend of traditional and contemporary imagery that leads the viewer to consider the roots of violence and whether the past is really dead.