Of Paradise and Other Places

Arts Lecture Theatre  

Described as “one of our most pensive and poetic artists” Saad Qureshi in his solo exhibition explores ideas of paradise, religion and mythology. In creating Something About Paradise, Qureshi travelled around the country talking to people of faith and no faith about what paradise meant to them. The resulting monumental sculptures are ‘mindscapes’ combining elements of landscape and architecture, both urban and rural, as well as pure fantasy. Shown for the first time is a series of watercolours: Hell Is Empty. Startling and humorous, these jewel-like drawings imagine the devil as evoked in Islamic theology: a creature of fire, mischief, and destruction.   Displayed alongside are large paper tapestries (Tanabanas) which are grounded in a long family tradition of craft and needlework. They weave intricate motifs from textiles, architecture, and mythology. 

In this talk, Isabel de Vasconcellos gives an introduction to the exhibition and Saad Qureshi’s work.