Saad Qureshi's Exhibition Explores Paradise Through Sculpture

Saad Qureshi's exhibition, 'On Paradise,' is currently on display at multiple Oxford University museums, including the Ashmolean, History of Science Museum, and Pitt Rivers Museum, from 2 October to 6 December 2026.

The exhibition, commissioned by the Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities, features sculptures that blend religious imagery with contemporary artistic techniques, drawing on Qureshi's upbringing in a devout Qur’ani family.

Qureshi's work includes newly commissioned pieces and collaborations with Oxford academics, such as Veronika Poier, who contributed insights on Islamic concepts of paradise.

The exhibition includes a 9-metre-wide paper-based tapestry, created using an Urdu weaving technique called Tanabana, which incorporates digital reproductions of historical images of paradise.

Qureshi's sculptures, often made from mid-grey paint, evoke a numinous quality, resembling the light before sunrise, and are designed to suspend disbelief through their spatial arrangements.

The exhibition also features interactive elements, including workshops where visitors create their own visual representations of paradise, reflecting Qureshi's interest in the portability and evolution of personal and collective ideas.