'Pristine Contemporary presents Where the River Bends, I Begin Again by Feroza Hakeem, opening Wednesday, 23rd September 2026 and on view until 23rd October 2026. The exhibition brings together a new body of contemporary miniature paintings that explore dialogues of resilience, hope, and abundance.
In Where the River Bends, I Begin Again, Hakeem's practice emerges from deeply personal histories of violence. Born into the Hazara community, her paintings rarely dwell on destruction itself. While they do not deny violence, they refuse to grant it visual sovereignty. Barren mountains are shown with flowers, dry valleys are threaded with blue streams, and landscapes marked by fear are quietly reimagined through colour, care, and abundance.
The exhibition is curated by Khushboo Jain, an independent curator native of Jaipur, India, with a focus on contemporary miniature painting. Khushboo's direction operate as critical platforms to examine politics, socio-economic landscapes, and the translation of Indian visual traditions into contemporary discourse. Drawing on her diverse experiences, including a background in geopolitical intelligence/ research, and trading in gemstones, Khushboo cultivates a comprehensive sensibility that enhances her curatorial vision. The exhibition, conceived by curator Khushboo Jain for Pristine Contemporary, invites viewers to dwell on how art might become a site of renewal in the aftermath of violence.
The exhibition's spatial design departs from the neutrality of the white cube, instead creating an intimate environment responsive to the scale and sensibility of Hakeem's miniature paintings. Displayed on individual pedestals, the works invite viewers into a slower, more contemplative mode of looking.'
Where the River Bends, I Begin Again by Feroza Hakeem is on view at Pristine Contemporary until 23rd October, 2026.
Words Platform Desk
Date 29.9.2026