(Un)Layering the Future Past of South Asia: Young Artists' Voices, the forthcoming exhibition at the SOAS Brunei Gallery, will showcase works by 26 young artists from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Afghanistan. Curated by Salima Hashmi and Manmeet K. Walia, this exhibition serves as a reflection of shared histories, artistic expression, and the aspiration for a more interconnected South Asia. A new seed sown through curatorial collaboration, it seeks to provide a platform for young and emerging artists—those with fresh voices—to share the stories of South Asia on a global stage, allowing their work to be seen beyond their home countries.

A multidisciplinary exhibition, it transcends traditional materials and mediums, incorporating painting, textile installations, and paper-based works, alongside lens-based art such as photography and film. Addressing urgent themes, it delves into struggles, emotions, aftermaths, war, conflict, and the sectarian, ethnic, and religious challenges faced across the region.

Supported by The Ravi Jain Memorial Foundation, the exhibition presents newly commissioned works and London debuts, offering reflections on South Asia’s entangled histories and contemporary realities.

Artist List: Ashfiqa Rahman, Dinar Sultana, Palaash Bhattacharya, Ayesha Sultana, Pradeep Thalwatta, Hema Shironi, Rinoshyan, Vinoja Tharmalingham, Varunika Saraf, Purvai Rai, Moonis Shah, Sangeeta Maity, Aban Raza, Soamya Bose, Hadi Rahnaward, Sherali, Kubra Khademi, Hanifa Alizada, Prarthana Singh, Ghulam Mohammad, Ayesha Abid Hussain, Maheen Kazim, Sajid Khan, Aiman Amin, and Amrit Karki.

Image credit: PALASH BHATTACHARJEE, Link Road (Stills of three-channel video installation with sound (Synchronize), Chittagonian with English subtitles) 10 minutes, 48 seconds, 2021–22. Supported by Warehouse 421 UAE, Colomboscope 21 & Goethe-Institut Bangladesh