Imran Qureshi - Scattered yet Together Solo show of Imran Qureshi at Pulchri Studio, The Hague

Imran Qureshi (b. 1972) has developed a contemporary practice rooted in the tradition of 16th-century Mughal miniature art, encompassing figurative and abstract works on paper, monumental paintings and site-specific installations. His work constitutes a unique synthesis of traditional motifs and techniques with current issues and the formal language of contemporary abstract painting. He combines traditional motifs, techniques and symbolism with conceptual ideas, oscillating between an unparalleled attention to detail and a gestural energy reminiscent of Action Painting. The use of gold leaf and red acrylic paint is a distinctive feature of his work. The luminosity of gold-leaf alludes to the celestial plane, in contrast to the vibrant splashes of red and ornate vine motifs that become symbolic of the vulnerability of the human body. 

The fragile beauty of Imran Qureshi's work is modulated by socio-political reflections on contemporary life. The colour red is a clear allusion to the lifeblood that flows through our veins, while his flower motifs evoke the possibility of renewal and growth. A sense of balance is maintained between the dualities explored in these works, such as violence and beauty or death and regeneration, which are shown as opposing yet intertwined forces. For the artist, 'the flowers that emerge from the paint represent the hope that – despite everything – the people sustain somehow their hope for a better future'. Using the representational techniques of miniature painting to depict our modern reality, Imran Qureshi's work speaks in part to the friction of a world in which novelty collides daily with orthodoxy.