Risham Syed: Lahore (Pakistan)

Departing from the figure as a central motif in miniature painting, Syed concentrates on empty, in-between spaces around her native city, Lahore. This ancient city traces its origins to pre-historic myths, and has seen many transformations under Turkish, Mughal and British rule. Yet, in recent decades the city has been developing and growing faster than ever.

Risham Syed’s paintings from her ‘Lahore’ series focus on the backs of buildings that appear blank, faceless, indeterminate.

She deliberately chooses sites that will be transformed by impending development and are not intended to be seen. They are temporary spaces and, by capturing and freezing them in these delicate paintings, Syed frames the space of change.

‘It’s the new Lahore that perhaps a person like me who has experienced the old city while growing up cannot fathom. New upper middle class quarters have emerged hurriedly over-night. I have chosen to paint the back walls of these houses that are left unfinished, usually simply cemented or covered in tar.’ [Risham Syed]