NCA and PUCAD unite in ‘Ra’naai-e-Khayal-o-Khat’

LAHORE — On the afternoon of August 14, 2026, Lahore’s main cultural pivot along The Mall became a two-part gallery circuit. It’s because two of Pakistan’s most valued art institutions: the National College of Arts (NCA) and the College of Art & Design, University of the Punjab (PUCAD) opened their doors to a historic joint exhibition titled Ra’naai-e-Khayal-o-Khat (The Beauty of Thought and Line).

The inauguration began at 3:30 PM by Chief Guest Prof. Dr. Niaz Ahmad Akhtar, Chairman of the Higher Education Commission (HEC). The collaborative display marks a rare institutional symbiosis arranged under the leadership of Vice Chancellor NCA Prof. Dr. Murtaza Jafri, Vice Chancellor Punjab University Prof. Dr. Muhammad Ali and Principal CAD PU Prof. Dr. Samina Nasim. This exhibition took place across two physical sites. Part 1 is hosted at PUCAD’s Allama Iqbal Campus and Part 2 is taking over the galleries of NCA. The exhibition which runs through September 3, 2026 forces observers into an active pedestrian dialogue between both historic campuses.

The atmosphere felt energetic with a distinct focus on tactile exploration, material experimentation and personal commentary while walking through the gallery spaces. It’s far from a conventional student thesis. The works on display demonstrate a meticulous engagement with raw textures, physical mediums and thematic intensity.

One of the most captivating pieces in the gallery space is Silent Voice (2026) by Syedah Adeela Ijaz Naqvi. This piece neatly sits on the white wall with a modest print label: the 2” x 3” work entirely relying on hair on canvas. The tactile quality of the piece is intuitive. There are fine strands of human hair intricately arranged to compose two emotive faces. One of the faces is posing a silent scream and the other is gazing outward with quiet resignation. The physical texture of the woven fiber creates a three-dimensional depth. The artwork captures abstract emotional distress in the immediate reality of human bodily material.

Nearby, Zaheer Chaudhry’s Shadow Has No Choice (2022) offers an abrupt photographic counterpoint. The large-format 36” x 25” black-and-white print captures the web-like shadow of tree branches cast against a weathered wall. Chaudhry’s deliberate work turns simple light exposure into a study of urban architecture, restraint and organic silhouette. This artwork emphasizes on physical grain of the surfaces upon which shadows fall.

The exhibition moves fluidly between interiority and observational realism. In an extraordinary mixed-media work, an artist utilizes actual transparent MRI and CT scan films as a physical substrate. The cross-sectional images of the human spine and skull form the internal structure of a curled human figure. The scan is overlaid with swirling patterns reminiscent of cellular forms or neural pathways. The artwork physically merges medical technology with existential vulnerability.

In contrast to these monochromatic psychological investigations stands a large botanical painting depicting green parakeets clustered within a canopy of lychee trees. The piece revels in the lush sheen of ripening fruit and light filtering through leaves. The painting is executed with meticulous brushwork. It celebrates regional flora and fauna with precision. Elsewhere, a surrealist monochrome composition presents a reclining figure intertwined with reptilian and avian wildlife. There’s a frog resting on patterned cloth while a bird hovers close to an open beak-like mouth. This piece of art blurs the line between human anatomy and raw natural ecology.

The exhibition’s opening on Independence Day preserved national identity and historical homage. The central hall sculpted spaces render tributes to Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah. A heavily dark bronze bust of Jinnah presents prominently before the official insignias of Punjab University and NCA. Its rough tactile surface catches the ambient overhead lighting. Nearby, a tonal portrait executed in high-contrast graphite and airbrush tones captures Jinnah’s likeness in quiet contemplation.

Ra’naai-e-Khayal-o-Khat sets a significant precedent for academic art institutions in Pakistan by uniting NCA and PUCAD. The two institutions have created a unified platform that foregrounds artistic integrity and field research. The exhibition will remain open to the public at both venues until September 3, 2026.