‘Mark of the Word-Maker’ نقش سخن ساز – Greater Boston area, USA (Dec. 2024)

Exhibit, Artists’ Talk & Spoken Word performance. A collaboration between artists Sameeta Ahmed and Justin McIntosh.

A collaboration between artists Sameeta Ahmed and Justin McIntosh, this exhibit explores the universal human impulse for expression through writing by blending diverse script traditions from South Asia, the Americas, and Europe. Through the acts of “layering”, artistic mimicry and cultural exchange, the project highlights the interconnectedness of calligraphy, activism, and identity.

After premiering in Karachi, Pakistan, the exhibit traveled back to the Boston area, reinforcing its theme of cross-cultural dialogue. Its opening also featured a spoken word performance of the Urdu song “Hamari Inteha-e-Shawq Kya Hai”/”What is the height of our passions?” translated into English by Sameeta. It was recited and sung by the two artists with music played by Dale Freeman, further deepening the artistic and linguistic exchange.

The exhibit and opening reception was generously hosted by the Medway Cultural Council and Medway Marches, and was shown at the Medway Public Library.

Link to the artists’ talk video: Click Here.