New Works by Sobia Ahmad

Entangled Light (ربطِ نُور) is a solo exhibition by Sobia Ahmad at Hamiltonian Artists. The immersive multimedia installation uses experimental gelatin silver photographs and hand-processed 16mm film to explore an ancient Sufi parable about moths drawn to a flame. The exhibition connects artistic practice with spiritual inquiry, scientific observation, devotional tradition, and embodied experience.

Ahmad’s photographs and films are made through biodegradable photochemical processes and homemade developers using materials such as kitchen compost, coffee, washing soda, salt, and plants. Chemical residue, light leaks, fingerprints, tonal variation, and other forms of chance are allowed to shape the work. In collaboration with an entomologist, Ahmad photographed and filmed moths and attended evening mehfils, where Qawwali singers carry the moth-and-flame story through poetry and oral tradition. Images of Ahmad’s hands appear alongside those of the entomologist and the hand gestures of Qawwali singers. Through repeated photographing, developing, altering, and reprinting, the installation considers seeking as an open-ended practice rather than a path toward certainty.

When: September 19–October 24, 2026

Venue: Hamiltonian Artists

Artist: Sobia Ahmad

Opening reception and exhibition walkthrough: Saturday, September 19, from 3–6 p.m. RSVP is requested.

Program: “The Flame Calls the Moth: Music, Poetry, and Qawwali” takes place Saturday, October 3, from 1–3 p.m. RSVP is requested.

Program: A Devotional Poetry Workshop takes place Saturday, October 24, from 4–6:30 p.m.

Materials: The installation includes experimental gelatin silver photographs, hand-processed 16mm film, biodegradable photochemical processes, and homemade developers made with compost, coffee, washing soda, salt, and plants.

Themes: The work places analog photography, scientific observation, Sufi mysticism, Qawwali devotional practice, repetition, uncertainty, and embodied experience in conversation.

Artist background: Ahmad was born and raised in Pakistan and moved to the United States at age fourteen. She received 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, both from the University of Maryland, College Park.

Tickets: Price not available