NUSRA LATIF QURESHI (B. 1973)

Gathering imagery and icons from Mughal, Pahari and Rajasthani miniatures, Qureshi ironically juxtaposes these traditional motifs with symbols of power and dominance, restructuring hierarchy of scale and composition to inject new meanings into the iconography. Qureshi still preserves the laborious traditional methods of preparing the pigments and paintbrushes although she abandoned traditional wasli paper for a coarser illustration board. Fascinated by the role of British colonialism in both destroying the Mughal empire and shaping the prevailing Pakistani culture, her works break down the imagery of power inherent in these systems and recognises it, challenging its telling of history.