16 Artists open “REJECTED” at the National Art Gallery

ISLAMABAD, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 18th Jun, 2026) The National Art Gallery on Thursday opened “REJECTED,” the culminating exhibition of OffGrid Residency Chapter 4, presenting new work by sixteen contemporary artists from the twin cities of Lahore and Islamabad.

The exhibition opens 18 June 2026 and is inaugurated by a group of seasoned artists who witnessed the creative journey first hand recognizing of the vital role of dialogue and mentorship in the artistic process, said a press release.

Born from a two-week intensive residency, “REJECTED” reframes rejection not as an ending but as a marking — a source of transformation and resilience. Across ceramics, painting, sculpture, mixed-media, calligraphy, and literary expression, the artists interrogate exclusion, self-rejection, and the quiet strength that grows after being turned down.

The exhibition draws together sixteen distinct artistic visions united by a common question: what shape does a ‘no’ give you? From clay fired in the kiln to watercolour rendered in transparency, from collage to rainwater denied by concrete to silhouettes of unlived selves, each work answers differently — and each answer is one of resilience.

Ahsan and Geytee Ara worked in clay to trace how rejection marks and strengthens. Ahsan uses cracks, texture, and contrasting forms to show resilience - how we rebuild and become stronger after exclusion. Geytee’s Lifescape Series treats clay as honest about trauma: it holds every impact instantly, then the kiln makes scars permanent. For both, the fracture becomes structure. The mark is no longer a wound, but stone. Her paintings also reflect the same.

Akhter Iqbal’s Rejected Recharge are expressed through graphic collage + mixed-media sculpture examining rainwater denied entry by concrete grids. Concrete, resin, steel and broom bristles capture downpour deflected by unyielding infrastructure. Modular cubes compress a strained water table; one uncoiled block suggests infiltration is still possible.

Aliya Farooq, Nadia Raza, and Saffia Mughees, explore rejection through colour and layering. Aliya paints light meeting dark - acceptance and rejection coexisting to create fragile sparks of hope. Nadia uses transparent watercolour to address transgender experiences of exclusion, where fluidity reflects both vulnerability and inner strength.

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Saffia’s Rejected but Preserved finds beauty in abandoned objects reclaimed by nature, showing that decay is history, not loss.

Eimaan Aslam explored self-rejection through moths and entangling creatures, using mediums deemed “not good enough”. Mahnoor Khushaal depicted calm spaces disrupted by insects, where one presence makes the whole environment feel rejected through perception. Zainab Sabir used mixed media to map internal and external rejection. She examines dissociation: reality stays visually present but emotionally rejected as the mind buffers unwanted truth.

Maria Baj and Sumria Qazi used mixed media to express themselves. Maria explored the hidden identity beneath social expectations, a journey from awareness to freedom. While sumeria was bold to reject her beaurecratic life. Her poem also complements the visual expression.

Sadaf Hammad translated rejection into text and spirit. She transformed Quranic verses into contemplative visual expression, inviting reflection on existence and faith. Anam Malik, grounded in nature and psychology, draws from to address societal pressures and identity. Nabia Zafar responds with 7 ekphrastic poems in Urdu/English free verse, giving verbal form to the artists’ visual language - covering external, self, social, and psychological rejection.

Maheen Syed and Sidra Ashraf work through personal narratives. Syed’s 6-part series moves from daughters rising after rejection to rejecting fear itself: “We are not files to be approved or dismissed.” Ashraf explored women’s silenced thoughts using lines and symbols - leafless trees for resilience, fish out of water for women surviving beyond imposed norms. Iqbal’s Rejected Recharge pairs concrete, resin, and steel with broom bristles to show rainwater denied entry by rigid infrastructure “REJECTED” refuses the shame of being turned down. Across clay fired into stone, paint layered over ghosts, water denied by concrete, and selves reclaimed from silence, the exhibition asks: What shape did that ‘no’ give you? The answer, across all mediums: the mark remains, but it becomes a line of light.