Muneeb Ali Khan's solo show at Islamabad's Studio B2 maps out the cartographies of the heart
Architect and artist Muneeb Ali Khan recently transformed Studio B2 in Islamabad with his solo exhibition, Heda’a Kaar. The show, which concluded late in July, featured 29 stippled pieces that map out the artist’s personal history and spiritual reflections. The title itself comes from a linguistic blend of Arabic and Persian, referencing the songs used by desert herders to keep their camels steady during long journeys in the dark. This concept of synchronicity between the inner self and the outside world serves as the exhibition’s primary theme.
Khan created these works as a response to the rigid, concrete demands of his professional career in architecture. After years working within corporate grids in both Islamabad and the United Kingdom, he turned to pen, pencil, and watercolor to find a sense of grounding. The exhibit is structured as a visual memoir and includes collage contributions from curator Muhammad Hamza. These additions helped frame the narrative of the collection, linking the artist's personal history to broader observations about modern life.
A significant portion of the exhibition focuses on loss. One piece, composed of meticulous lines, serves as a direct connection to the memory of Khan’s father, who passed away when the artist was 15. The emotional weight of this work transitions into a more hopeful tone in a companion painting featuring the artist’s daughter, which represents the continuity of life.
The show also addresses the disconnect of modern labor. In his piece titled Facing the Wall, Khan portrays a figure performing repetitive tasks while suspended without support, acting as a metaphor for the exhaustion of the nine-to-five corporate cycle. This stands in contrast to the frenetic energy of his piece Lover Boy, which captures the fleeting nature of adolescence.
Finally, Khan addresses the impact of automation on spirituality through a comparison of handmade and digital calligraphy. By writing the phrase Astaghfirullah both by hand and via computer, he demonstrates how digital tools can strip away the human nuance of devotion. Heda’a Kaar was not merely an art display, but a deliberate examination of how individuals maintain their identity in an increasingly automated and demanding world.