Imran Qureshi’s artistic style is influenced by intricate Mughal court paintings from the 16th to 19th century. His work usually depicts figures, body parts, plants, animals, and calligraphic script. Qureshi’s signature style features the use of gold leaf contrasted with red acrylic paint.
Blessings Upon the Land of My Love (2011) is a site-specific installation that was commissioned by the Sharjah Art Foundation in the United Arab Emirates. In this work, Qureshi used acrylic and emulsion paint on the brick floor of a courtyard inside Bait Al Serkal, a heritage building in Sharjah.
The installation depicts delicately-drawn floral forms reminiscent of the foliage commonly found in the Basohli Hills in Kashmir. The floral patterns have been splattered and doused in pools of red paint suggestive of bloodstains, evoking the violence and harsh political realities of the Middle East and Pakistan.
By portraying organic forms in a macabre setting, Qureshi considers the space between life and death in contemporary society. For the artist, ‘the flowers that emerge from the paint represent the hope that—despite everything—the people sustain somehow... for a better future’.
