ISMAILI ROCKPOOLS

Opening Times:

Sunday, 15/06/2025 12pm - 6pm

Monday, 16/06/2025 5pm - 8pm

Tuesday, 17/06/2025 5:30pm - 8pm

Wednesday, 18/06/2025 5pm - 8pm

Come and explore an exhibition centering the people and landscapes of Afghanistan and Pakistan by Matty Feurtado and more..

ISMAILI ROCKPOOLS

‘I know of no more beautiful expression about the unity of our human race — born indeed from a single soul’ said Aga Khan IV.

As all rockpools are born from the same ocean, the Ismaili come from the same waters of faith and philosophy. Like rockpools forming: as continents shift, as tides wane, these environments of home change and adapt with forces beyond their control. The Ismaili sect of Islam is a minority sect wherever people practice it. Instead of referring to one centralised spiritual heartland, the faith is spread around the world, relying on a web of networks to bind it’s Jamaat/ community together.

In this exhibition comprising painting, photography, video, textiles and archive, multiple Ismaili communities from Afghanistan and Pakistan are united in a celebration of home at a changing of the seasons.

HUNARMAND HOOST (QUEER LED COOPERATIVE: TWILLING TWEEDS)

In June 2012, Twilling Tweeds invited Chitrali embroiderers to participate in a series of creative workshops, where they were exposed to basic photography, drawing and coloring techniques. Their own daily lives, people, objects and anecdotes became the immediate source of inspiration.  The workshops gave them the space to tell their stories in their own words and drawings; interpreting the life of both communities.  Throughout the workshops the women’s conversation and tales were recorded.  These made up the accompanying narratives.

‘My aim when creating this collection was to connect textile workers in remote areas of Pakistan with those in the Outer Hebrides, creating a bridge between communities and promoting a cultural awareness between the two countries ’.

The pieces are illustrated and embellished by female artisans from Chitral.  This project encourages the women to be creative designers and gives them the space to tell their stories in their own words and drawings ; interpreting the life of both communities.

METAPHYSICAL SMOKE

Tahir, through his multidisciplinary art practice, strives to capture the breathtaking beauty of nature and express his personal experiences growing up in Chitral. Nature’s splendour serves as his greatest inspiration. In his recent series, he brings attention to the intricate networks of spider colonies and the webs they spin, allowing us to experience these ecosystems at eye level.