Entangled Light

Entangled Light is a solo exhibition by Sobia Ahmad at Hamiltonian Artists. The immersive multimedia installation combines experimental gelatin silver photographs with hand-processed 16mm film to explore an ancient Sufi parable about moths drawn toward a flame. Ahmad connects the moth’s attraction to light with the uncertainty, devotion, and repeated labor of working in the darkroom, bringing scientific observation, spiritual practice, and artistic experimentation into dialogue.

The exhibition treats analog photography and film as both creative processes and metaphors. Ahmad uses biodegradable photochemical techniques and homemade developers made from materials including kitchen compost, coffee, washing soda, salt, and plants. Chemical residue, light leaks, fingerprints, tonal variation, and other unexpected effects are allowed to accumulate, making chance and error part of the work’s transformation. Working with an entomologist, Ahmad photographed and filmed moths and attended evening mehfils, where Qawwali singers preserve the moth-and-flame story through poetry and oral tradition. Images of Ahmad’s hands appear alongside the entomologist’s hands and the gestures of Qawwali singers during devotional recitations.

Repetition and reworking run throughout the installation, with images revisited, altered, reprinted, and developed again. The exhibition places science, mysticism, and embodied experience alongside one another, presenting seeking as an ongoing practice of openness rather than a path toward certainty.

When: September 19–November 7, 2026

Venue: Hamiltonian Artists

Artist: Sobia Ahmad

Materials: Experimental gelatin silver photographs and hand-processed 16mm film, including works made with biodegradable photochemical processes and homemade developers.

Programs: Exhibition Walkthrough and Opening Reception, Saturday, September 19, 3–6 p.m.; The Flame Calls the Moth: Music, Poetry, and Qawwali, Saturday, October 3, 1–3 p.m.; Where We Gather: An Evening of Urdu Poetry, Saturday, October 24, 4–6:30 p.m. RSVP is available for the listed programs.

Artist background: Ahmad was born and raised in Pakistan and moved to the United States at age fourteen. She earned an MFA from Carnegie Mellon University in 2024, a B.S. in Community Health in 2015, and a B.A. in Studio Art in 2016, all from the University of Maryland College Park.

Tickets: Price not available