In recent years Qureshi has transplanted his landscapes from the boundaries of the page to specific architectural environments. Flooding his chosen sites with acrylic, the artist then works the paint into thickets of ornamental leaves with foliate patterns that evoke the luxuriant walled gardens of the Mughals—a ubiquitous subject in historic miniatures. Here, on the Roof Garden, the blooms also echo the verdant foliage of Central Park—a green space conceived in the nineteenth century to function as a site of respite and tranquility in the midst of the chaotic and cacophonous city. Three years ago Qureshi began to use red acrylic in his installations in response to brutal bombings in Lahore. While many of the world’s citizens have become accustomed to almost daily attacks on their streets, such cruelty striking so close to home provoked a deep response in his work. “Yes, these forms stem from the effects of violence,” he said of his visceral blooms of paint. “They are mingled with the color of blood, but, at the same time, this is where a dialogue with life, with new beginnings and fresh hope starts.” More here.