ARTICLE
A Contemporary Perspective
by Amina Rizwan
In Pakistan and in India, there is a word—darshan—for looking at images. It comes from Hinduism, and refers to indigenous receptivity of sacred images. Darshan is visual receptivity, an intense absorption. Whether it’s jewelry, shrines, cinema, this indigenous absorption, a culturally specific receptivity to imagery, wraps around all forms of visual sites.
Image caption: Designed by Sheraz Faisal in collaboration with VASL x Aliel, Yasir Waqas, Swing 1, 2018, earrings, gold, polki diamond, carved tourmaline, brown diamonds, gouache on wasli paper, photo courtesy of the artist
