‘Mark of the Word-Maker’ نقش سخن ساز – Lincoln Corner, Karachi (Aug 2024)

An artistic collaboration between Pakistani artist Sameeta Ahmed and US-based artist Justin McIntosh, exploring the historic scripts of their respective cultures through painting.

Sameeta Ahmed and Justin McIntosh are both artists who have painstakingly learnt traditional skills from their own cultures and applied them in their own creative art expressions. Their current collaboration, the series “Naqsh-e-Sukhan-Saaz”/“Mark-of-the-Word-Maker”, is an attempt at cultural dialogue between their respective script traditions, as well as those that they have encountered and learned from, that have had parallel, rich histories.

It weaves together the rich tapestry of script traditions from the Pakistani heritage (Indus River Basin cultures, ancient to contemporary) and American heritage (European, as well as heritage from the ancient Americas), both historic and modern. A final layer of their experiment takes on an Urdu poem “Hamari Inteha-e-Shawq Kya Hai”, which Sameeta translated into English, while paying homage to the spirit of social movements which have brought change. 

Featured Scripts: Urdu, ancient Indus Valley Civilization script, Brahmi, DevaNagari, and Avesta, Latin script, undeciphered Scottish petroglyphic writing, ancient scripts from the Americas.