Garden Within A Garden

Garden within a Garden was a two-part work situated in the Mughal Water Gardens in Lister Park, next to Cartwright Hall Art Gallery and in City Park, Bradford City Centre. The garden is a place of peace, tranquillity and safety. The works were painted directly on to the paving by the Pakistani artist Imran Qureshi. But this garden within a garden did not provide refuge from conflict, or a haven from the outside world. Instead, inspired by the history of the million-strong British Indian army that fought in the First World War, Qureshi transformed a public space into zones in which light and dark mix, horror and hope collide.

Qureshi lives and works in Lahore, Pakistan, a region that as part of the British Raj enlisted a huge number of Sikh, Muslim and Hindu soldiers to fight on the Western Front. Their experiences of being at war in a distant land and in a hostile climate were the foundation on which this commission was based.

Qureshi – who uses a delicate style inspired by the history of Pakistani and Indian miniature painting to reflect upon contemporary conflicts and divisions – illuminates the complex interplay between Islamic and European history and culture. These vibrant works remind us that war creates division, but can also bring people together.

About the artist
Imran Qureshi (b. 1972, Hyderabad, Pakistan) lives and works in Lahore, Pakistan. He reclaims the regionally rooted discipline of miniature painting that flourished in the Mughal courts of the late sixteenth century, and transports it to the present day. His work constitutes a unique synthesis of traditional motifs and techniques with current issues and the formal language of contemporary abstract painting. Renown for his site-specific installations, he develops an aesthetic that integrates contemporary themes with the motifs and techniques of traditional miniature painting. Leaves and nature represent the idea of life, whilst the colour red (that appears at first glance like real blood) represents death. The red reminds Qureshi of the situation today in his country, Pakistan, and the world, where violence is almost a daily occurrence. “But somehow, people still have hope,” Qureshi says “hence the flowers that emerge from the red paint in my work represent the hope that—despite everything—the people sustain somehow, their hope for a better future.” He works elegantly across the medium of miniature painting, abstract painting as well as large installations, works on paper, as well as video.

Commissioned by 14-18 NOW, Bradford Museums and Galleries, City of Bradford MD Council and Yorkshire Festival