quiet contemplations / urgent meditations IV

Bringing together their distinct practices, this collaborative, durational performance pairs Tazeen Qayyum’s contemplative, physically demanding drawing practice with Debashis Sinha’s acoustic and electronic textures. Grounded in process and performance theory, the work explores possibilities of embodiment through performance practices—words, line, rhythm, gesture, and site-responsive sound.

Over the course of the performance, Qayyum—whose artwork is showcased in —repetitively inscribes carefully selected singular words and shapes, weaving intricate patterns that form a striking visual document of meditation. Integrated with Sinha’s soundscapes, the work invites audiences into an immersive, shared state of reflection and trance.

Series title originally conceived by Niyash Mistry.

Tazeen Qayyum is a multidisciplinary Pakistani-Canadian artist exploring themes of belonging and displacement within the diaspora during times of global unrest. Qayyum’s art has been exhibited in prestigious galleries and international biennials worldwide.
Her work is held in major public and private collections, including the Royal Ontario Museum, the Art Mill Museum in Qatar, the Robert McLaughlin Gallery, the TD Canada Trust Permanent Collection, the Welt Museum in Vienna, the Doris McCarthy Gallery, the National Gallery of Amman in Jordan, and the National Art Gallery in Nepal.
Beyond her artistic practice, Qayyum co-founded Art Address and has served on the Board of Directors for Oakville Galleries, and Advisory Board of the Blackwood Gallery. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the National College of Arts in Lahore, Pakistan, specializing in miniature painting rooted in South Asia and Persian traditions.

A stalwart and consistent presence in the Canadian sound world, Debashis Sinha has realized projects in theatre, dance, media arts and music across Canada and internationally. He was a 2024 finalist for the Siminovitch Prize, Canada’s largest prize for excellence in the theatre arts, and has won multiple Dora awards and nominations for his stage work in Toronto (including one for Outstanding Achievement in Design (Opera category)). Sinha’s continuing sound practice has led to appearances and residencies at MUTEK.JP/MX/MTL, ISEA, NeurIPS, Fiber Festival, Akademie der Künste, EMS Stockholm, Poesiefestival and other venues, and he has released records independently and on Gustaff, Archipel, Other People Records and Establishment. He is a member of the international research group Wilding AI, and is currently an Associate Professor at the School of Performance, Toronto Metropolitan University.

Accessibility

The Kaneff Centre is AODA-compliant, with wide doorways and powered doors. Accessible multi-user gendered washrooms are located on the ground and lower levels.

Lines, Pattern, Action

This public program is a presented alongside , an exhibition that brings together the contemporary practices of five Pakistani-Canadian artists engaging with pressing global questions around gender, war, migration, climate resilience, and ecology. This landmark exhibition marks the first time an all-Muslim artist showcase has been featured at the University of Toronto.

All five artists studied at the National College of Arts in Lahore, Pakistan (NCA). Their art practices build upon the rigorous art training of the NCA and the challenges of its colonial legacies to reimagine traditional South Asian practices for a universal viewer.

Visit our website for full program descriptions and contributor biographies.

The Blackwood gratefully acknowledges the support of the Canada Council for the Arts, Ontario Arts Council, and University of Toronto Mississauga.
Public programs are generously supported by the Shehla and Adil Giving for Arts Foundation (SAGA Foundation).