Still-Life of Trees Among Mountains - An Artist Talk by Karim Ahmed Khan

Join us on Earth Day to learn more about artist Karim Ahmed Khan’s incredible artistic practice. He is among a number of artists part of the Seeds, Trees & Mountains exhibition at the Aga Khan Centre Gallery, at Aga Khan Centre, London. He joins us on a special visit from his homeland in Hunza Valley, Northern Pakistan, where among the backdrop of the majestic Himalayan Mountains, he makes conscious artwork inspired by and deeply connected to concerns around climate change - the impact of this on the landscape and communities he calls home, as well as the wider global climate crisis. Places are limited so book now.

Seeds, Trees & Mountains runs from 24 February - 30 June 2023. It is a mixed media exhibition exploring the impact of climate change with work by artists Veeda Ahmed, Samantha Buckley, Emily Ketteringham, Karim Ahmed Khan, Samantha Batra Mehta, Olga Prinku, Andrea Roberts and Diana Taylor.

In partnership with Aga Khan Agency for Habitat, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and One Resilient Earth.

"The Earth turns to Gold, in the Hands of the Wise”

Jalāl al-Dīn Muḥammad Rūmī

This quote forms the overarching statement for Aga Khan Centre Gallery’s first in a series of exhibitions exploring issues around climate change. The presentation is a unique partnership between AKC Gallery, Aga Khan Agency for Habitat (AKAH) and Wakehurst - RBG Kew’s wild botanic garden in Sussex - home to the Millennium Seed Bank and over 500 acres of diverse landscapes and plants from across the globe. The six participating artists have all undertaken residences at Wakehurst or AKAH, drawing on their information resources to create work reflecting climate control. Two participating artists have responded specifically to the Rumi quote.

The overarching aim of the project is to share AKAH’s research around environmental stewardship and climate change adaptation using nature-based solutions, alongside RBG Kew’s monumental Global Tree Seed Bank Programme. This programme conducts vital work around the preservation of key medicinal plants and endangered tree species in Pakistan; a country that connects all three partners.

Seeds, Trees & Mountains is an AKU- ISMC, AKF-UK & IIS sponsored exhibition that includes collaborations with Aga Khan Agency for Habitat and Wakehurst. It features eight artists, Diana Taylor, Emily Ketteringham, Karim Ahmad, Olga Prinku, Samantha Batra Mehta, Andrea Roberts, Veeda Ahmed and Samantha Buckley, all of whom have created artworks reflecting the abundance of biodiversity. The artwork shown will include existing and new work produced during residencies, revealing an idealistic view of the abundance of biodiversity based on specific information in relation to the work the partner organisations are involved, including data from Kew’s Global Seed Bank and AKAH’s work on nature-based solutions.

For further information please visit: https://www.agakhancentre.org.uk/gallery/seeds-trees-mountains/

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Aga Khan Centre, 10 Handyside Street, London, United Kingdom