آبِ روان Aab-e-Ravaan: Language Like Water exhibit

April 13, 2026

This exhibit explores the artistic practice of Farheen Haq, an interdisciplinary artist born into an immigrant family with roots in Bihar, India, and Karachi, Pakistan, she now lives and works on lək̓ʷəŋən territory (Victoria, BC).

Through her work, Haq returns to her parents’ experience and ancestral lands, drawing on the Urdu poetry of Mirza Ghalib (1797–1869) as a source of connection, memory, and reflection. In this exhibition, Haq looks to water as a guide in relationship building and to understand the flows of migration; as well as tracing the fluidity of language through poetry. Her work moves like a ghazal, where every droplet carries the meaning of reconnection. In آبِ روان Aab-e-Ravaan, Urdu becomes a living current, flowing and shaping relationships. Like water, it holds memory and connects seemingly distant lands and waters to the Salish Sea, offering a space where identity remains in motion, always shifting and creating new meanings.

Opening celebration: May 2, 2026, 2 p.m. - 4 p.m.

Exhibit run: May 2 - August 1, 2026

Location: Legacy downtown main gallery

Exhibit curator: Anahita Ranjbar