Aisha Khalid: Larger Than Life

Lahore-based Aisha Khalid is one of Pakistan’s leading contemporary artists. She is part of a generation that has revitalised the traditional medium of miniature painting by juxtaposing decorative surfaces with deep socio-political subtexts around ideas about cultural expectations and stereotyping, the oppression of women and global politics in the aftermath of 9/11.

Embroidery is also a recurring theme in Khalid’s work, reflecting her familiarity with the embroidery traditions of regions such as Sind and Punjab. At the Whitworth the artist will be working on a large site-specific project examining the relationship between hand and machine embroidery. She will ‘embroider’ the bricks and mortar of one of the Gallery’s double height walls with a repeating pattern of roses, and display a new body of large paintings that explore the artist’s experiences of life and spirituality.