According to the Collins English Dictionary, the term ‘solastalgia’ is defined as “unease and melancholy caused by the destruction of the natural environment; eco-anxiety.” It is an apt term for the emotional and conceptual terrain explored in ‘Solastalgia’, a solo exhibition by multidisciplinary artist Munawar Ali Syed at the Chawkandi Art Gallery.

“Solastalgia is a longing for the lost terrain of my soul,” Syed reflects. “In Karachi’s relentless sprawl, I find myself suspended between the concrete’s grip and the whisper of a vanishing horizon. The city’s pulse fuels my art, yet every beat echoes with what we’ve surrendered — nature’s silence, the tree’s shade, the cloud’s whisper.” His words resonate deeply in a city where unchecked development has steadily erased not only natural landscapes but also layers of history and cultural identity.

Syed is far from alone in this sense of loss. In Karachi, modernisation often proceeds without even superficial attempts at preservation.........

© Dawn (Magazines)