As part of her EAF25 exhibition, Edinburgh Printmakers invited audiences to join them artist Aqsa Arif and curator Priyesh Mistry for an in-conversation. This hybrid talk explored the artist’s multimedia exhibition Raindrops of Rani, which draws on Pakistani folklore and imagery from the Sony Bravia Paint advert filmed in her childhood council flat.

Arif’s 2025 exhibition Raindrops of Rani used elements of South Asian folklore to explore themes of fractured identity, displacement, and cultural synthesis through fantasy and world-building. The show draws on the folk tragedy Heer Ranjha, and, in particular, the forced separation of a South Asian Princess, who now finds herself in a council flat in Glasgow ,dealing with the pressures to assimilate in a hostile environment. The event gave audiences the opportunity to engage more deeply with Arif’s work, as well as hear from Mistry, the Associate Curator for Modern and Contemporary Projects at the National Gallery.

Related Programme

See more related events and exhibitions:
→ Aqsa Arif: Raindrops of Rani at Edinburgh Printmakers, To the West

_{This exhibition wass supported by Creative Scotland’s Open Fund for Individuals, Print Clan, Brick + Mortar, and Too Happy Studios. It is presented by Edinburgh Printmakers as part of the 2025 Edinburgh Art Festival. This event is part of our heritage project Castle Mills: Then & Now supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, made possible by money raised by National Lottery players.}