Lines, Pattern, Action at the Blackwood Gallery
Curated art from five Pakistani artists, the newest Blackwood Gallery collection comments on colonialism in a new way.
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You might have caught sight of the Blackwood Gallery’s new lightbox art installation if you have recently passed by the side entrance of the Davis (DV) Building. Named “Why Do I Tell You This” by Amin Rehman, the piece is part of the Lines, Pattern, Action collection currently housed at the University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM). Curated by Ruba Kana’an, the collection “showcases [the] artistic expressions of translocal subjectivities” of five Ontario-based Pakistani-Canadian artists: Faisal Anwar, Tazeen Qayyum, Amin Rehman, Emaan Shaikh, and Sumaira Tazeen. All artists attended the National College of Arts (NCA) in Lahore, Pakistan.
In Rehman’s piece, language is used “to critique colonialism and globalisation.” The art piece features a poem, written in alternating lines and in different colours, each representing a different voice and opposing ideals. The first, the grey text, refers to the acquisition of power, to “become the lord of the land,” and to ensure survival through hardship. It echoes similar ideals—capitalist ideals—that the West champions. The second, the red text, advises people to work with others, to share goods, and ensure the survival of all. The second view is a socialist one and stands in contrast to the first. The purpose of Rehman’s piece is to highlight how different ideals arise during a post-war period—specifically in the case of Pakistan’s—for survival.
Rehman’s artwork currently displayed at the Blackwood Gallery uses language to de-center the West and its values. The “Why Do I Tell You This” poem, along with other pieces of Rehman’s, features an Urdu typography and font, despite being written in English. Here, Rehman was able to pay homage to his homeland, Pakistan, through the symbolic motifs of language. It also assures that viewers slow down when reading the piece—particularly because many may not initially realise that the poem is written in English at first glance.
My personal favourite piece is an Light-Emitting Diode (LED) light piece that displays: ENGLISH IS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE. It can be so easy to fall into the belief that the English language is universal. But, when you consider the perspectives of people living outside of our societies, like in Pakistan, you are reminded that language is an imposed language, a singular language amidst the thousands of others. It forces the Anglophonic viewer to confront their biases and reassess why English is understood as the default. One of Rehman’s pieces displayed at the Blackwood Gallery contains seven languages, including English, Urdu, Persian, Baluchi, and Pashto. That specific piece refers to phrases that hold significance to their associated culture; another means of conveying the power of language. While Rehman’s artwork may seem cliché, in that it relies heavily on words to convey a message, the pieces are incredibly thought-provoking when considering how language can be weaponised.
On October 15, 2026, the five artists featured in this collection will come together in a panel at the Blackwood Gallery. Moderated by curator Professor Ruba Kana’an, the artists will discuss the overlaps of their work with themes of culture and politics. The event, which has free admission, will take place from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Kaneff Center, and the link to register can be found on the Blackwood’s website.
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For the piece spanning seven languages, a companion label explaining each phrase’s cultural context would help viewers follow the discussion of language and power. Keeping that label separate would preserve the slow reading Rehman’s English poem invites.