Aqsa Arif's exhibition Raindrops of Rani uses elements of South Asian folklore to explore themes of fractured identity, displacement, and cultural synthesis through fantasy and world-building.
This multimedia installation encompassing film, textile screenprints and sculpture is set against the backdrop of the 2006 multi million pound Sony Bravia television commercial 'Paint' which saw 70,000 litres of coloured paint explode in and over her childhood council flat.
Raindrops of Rani 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.
This is one of two exhibitions we are showcasing as part of the 2025 Edinburgh Art Festival.
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Raindrops of Rani is supported by the National Lottery through Creative Scotland’s Open Fund.
Main image: Aqsa Arif, Just Like Them, digital print, 2025.
Banner image: Aqsa Arif, Marvi and the Churail, multi-media film installation (detail), 2024.
