Vasl Artists’ Association in collaboration with The Repair Atelier launched the third chapter of the Vasl’s museum series ‘Museum of Repair’ in March 2023. A year-long museum-based experiment for creative practitioners to investigate repair as a contemporary expression of empowerment, agency, and resistance to our unmaking of the world and the environment.

In the embrace of Inshal’s immersive installation ‘Lovers Before Time’, a reverent symbiosis of organic rawness and digital ethereality unfolds. The audience is beckoned into a contemplative space, where the earth’s silent yet stoic narrators — twigs and branches — are interwoven into the fabric of the exhibit, crafting a sanctuary sculpted from the skeletons of trees. These skeletal fragments, once part of a grander whole, stand testament to the passage of time, the wounds inflicted by existence, and the relentless march toward renewal and healing.

Inspired by the resilience of natural life, Inshal has meticulously crafted an environment that mirrors the intricate process of cicatrization — where wounds are progressively reclaimed by the vivacious force of life. This installation is an homage to the subtle but unyielding strength found within the arboreal forms that have steadfastly weathered the storms and the seasons. Each twig and branch, artfully placed by the artist’s hand, evokes the scars and fissures that mark our journey toward healing.

Amidst this forest of revival, digital projections spring to life — ephemeral drawings that dance upon the walls and ceiling, offering a stark juxtaposition to their tangible counterparts. These luminous sketches provide a glimpse into Inshal’s introspective expedition through the mediums of nature and technology. The projections serve as the transient pulse of the exhibition, crafting illusions of growth and decay, shadow and light, intimating the impermanence of wounds and the possibility of mending.

As visitors traverse this meditative landscape, they are invited to reflect on the parallels between the regenerative resilience of trees and the human capacity for recovery. The intertwining narrative of nature’s relentless endurance and human fortitude invites a dialogue with the self, encouraging communion with the deeper layers of one’s consciousness and the universal desire for healing.

Inshal’s installation is not merely a visual spectacle but a journey — a potent reminder that akin to the trees that stand resilient yet etched by time, we too harbor the innate power to heal, to grow, and to emerge renewed from the crevices of our past afflictions.

About Inshal:

Inshal Tahir is a Karachi-based visual artist. She completed her Bachelor’s degree in Fine Art from the Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture in 2021. Tahir has been exhibiting her works since graduation, her work has been exhibited in various art galleries in Pakistan. Alongside her art practice, Inshal Tahir has her jewelry line titled, ‘The Banyan Tree Collection’. Tahir’s work illustrates an alternate reality that emerges out of her emotions and state of being. Initially, she has been researching the Banyan Trees that have strong roots in history, culture, and myths.