Imran Qureshi

Born Jan 1, 1972 · Hyderabad, Sindh, Pakistan

A master of the art of miniature, Imran Qureshi reworks the painting style typical of Mughal courts in the 16th to 19th centuries to depict flora, fauna, body parts, and calligraphic script. Following bombings in his home city of Lahore, he introduced blood-red paint into his palette, splattered or delicately drawn in works that contrast violence with beauty. Plant tendrils become splitting capillaries, human feet are patterned with tiny leaves, and oval canvases are covered in gold leaf. In pieces as small as six-by-eight inches or as large as room-size installations, he represents in abstracted terms the collective history of his country.