Aqeeq (2024)

Suha Baqar

3x4 series of 8.5x11 in papers

Chalk pastel, graphite, colored pencils on paper

This artwork is a study of a small aqeeq stone—known as agate in English—set in a delicate piece of jewelry that once belonged to my grandmother in Pakistan. Passed down through generations, the stone is intricately engraved with Arabic script and encased in a gold border.

By studying the piece through close observation, from afar, and under an interplay of various light sources, I expand upon the relic, exploring its intricate features onto larger surfaces. This process allowed me to reflect on the emotional resonance of jewelry: echoing whispers of generations past, steeped in mysticism and stories, and a timeless creation holding the essence of people and time before.

My process was intuitive, using pastels, blending techniques, and natural, fluid motions. These gestures mimic the language of the stone itself, evoking the shapes of regions, extinguished candle flames, physical representations of whispers, and even celestial bodies. Together, these elements build a world inspired by this small yet profound pendant, transforming it into a universe of memory and meaning.

Alt-Text: a 3x4 grid of gray papers. An exploration of an agate pendant passed down through generations. Two columns of paper in the middle repeat ovals of agate stone under different light sources using red and brown pastels. The two columns on each end show whispers of Arabic scripture going from down to up, made using white and gray pastels.

Suha Baqar is an interdisciplinary artist from San Jose, California and a current Junior studying Studio Art at New York University in New York, NY.

Artist Statement

My creative practice is an exploration of temporality, delicately weaving personal memory, lived experience, and curious imagination. Focusing in mediums of oil paint and video work, and often time working with familial archives such as photographs, videos, and narratives, I discover the layers of personal and collective history. My curiosity about human experience leads me to trace the connections between the individual and the vast, incomprehensible universe. I am drawn to the relationship between microscopic and the macroscopic, finding interesting parallels that exist between scales, from small, personal moments to bigger, universal ideas. Ultimately, my art explores the interconnectedness of human experience, and contemplates our fleeting yet significant place in an infinite universe.