Frist Art Museum to Present ANILA QUAYYUM AGHA: INTERWOVEN

The Frist Art Museum will present ANILA QUAYYUM AGHA: INTERWOVEN from May 22 through August 30 in the Gordon Contemporary Artists Project Gallery. The exhibition, organized by The Westmoreland Museum of American Art, marks the final stop of a four-venue tour.

The retrospective spans two decades of Agha’s work and includes 26 pieces across installations, drawings, and sculptures. The exhibition explores themes of identity, migration, discrimination, and environmental impact, drawing on Agha’s experiences as a Pakistani American artist.

Born in Lahore in 1965, Agha moved to the United States in 1999 and is now based in Indianapolis. Her work incorporates influences from Indo-Islamic architecture, Urdu poetry, traditional textile practices, and the California Light and Space movement, with textiles serving as a central element throughout her practice.

“I do not have a single story,” Agha said. “I have multiple stories that become interwoven to create a tapestry that is colorful, that is varied, that has pattern, that has beauty and light.”

Frist Art Museum Curator-at-Large Trinita Kennedy said, “Anila Agha is one of the most highly sought-after artists working in the United States today. Her immersive installations elicit wonder and a sense of endless possibility.”

Artist Event

An opening talk with the artist will take place May 22 at 12:00 p.m. in the museum’s auditorium. Admission is free for members, with gallery admission required for non-members. Registration is required.