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PakistaniArt covers the stories that matter most in Pakistani art and culture. We report on gallery openings, artist milestones, industry shifts, and the cultural moments shaping creative life across the country and beyond.

Momina Iqbal and Junaid Khan are starring together in the upcoming Geo Entertainment drama serial Muhafiz. Produced by 7th Sky Entertainment, Junaid plays Sub-Inspector Zawar Bakht, an action-oriented police officer assigned to protect Paras Behzad (Momina Iqbal), a wealthy and spoiled young woman.

Junaid Khan and Momina Iqbal Set to Reunite in Geo TV's Upcoming Bodyguard Drama 'Muhafiz'

The pair's last outing together drew strong ratings; now, 7th Sky Entertainment is betting on their chemistry again with a high-stakes new serial

Zoya Mahroosh ZulfiqarJUN 16, 2026
A side-by-side composite image featuring two individual portraits of Pakistani actors. On the left, actress Momina Iqbal is captured from the waist up. She is wearing a heavily embroidered, deep maroon or red bridal lehenga with intricate gold zari and sequin detailing. Her hair is styled in voluminous, cascading waves tossed to one side, and she wears a heavy gold choker necklace, matching earrings adorned with white roses, and traditional makeup with prominent blush and a red lip. On the right, actor Junaid Khan is shown from the chest up, leaning against a dark car. He is wearing a crisp white, vertically pinstriped button-down shirt with the top buttons left open and sleeves rolled up, showcasing a well-groomed beard and styled black hair.

New Drama 'Muhafiz' Teaser Out with Junaid Khan and Momina Iqbal Leading

The first teaser for the upcoming bodyguard drama "Muhafiz" is here, and it sets up a tense, clash-driven central relationship right from the start

Zoya Mahroosh ZulfiqarJUN 12, 2026

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ArchitectureJUN 23, 2026

James Turrell Reaches His 100th Skyspace With a Colossal Subterranean Dome in Denmark

Kamil Dad
American artist James Turrell has created As Seen Below, a 40-metre-wide Skyspace, for the ARoS Aarhus Art Museum in Aarhus, Denmark. Opening today, the domed extension realised in collaboration with Danish studio Schmidt Hammer Lassen, is an immersive subterranean space washed in monochromatic colours. A six-metre-wide central aperture sits at the dome's apex to frame views of the shifting sky above. As Seen Below by James Turrell James Turrell has created a 40-metre-wide Skyspace for the ARoS Aarhus Art Museum "In As Seen Below, I'm shaping the experience of seeing rather than delivering an image," the artist explained. "The architecture holds the sky close, so you recognize that the act of looking is the work itself." "Here, light isn't description, it's the substance you stand within," he added. As Seen Below by James Turrell It sits beside the museum's original building The installation's opening marks the completion of the museum's wider 4,000-square-metre expansion led by Schmidt Hammer Lassen, for which Turrell's Skyspace is the "centrepiece". As Seen Below is the artist's 100th Skyspace installation and, according to the museum, his most ambitious one yet. As Seen Below by James Turrell A six-metre-wide aperture frames views of the sky The installation connects to the main museum building both above and below ground via a new outdoor exhibition space and subterranean corridor respectively. Above ground, the structure emerges from the museum's park as a grass-covered mound. Its volume is topped with a 100-square-metre operable lid that allows the oculus to be closed and double as a lighting system. As Seen Below by James Turrell Its interior is washed in monochromatic colours Ground level access to the space is provided by an arched concrete opening that carves into the structure. Inside, the 16-metre-tall dome is centred around a sweeping open space, which is entered through gaps in a secondary concrete structure that provides stepped seating. The interior has been finished with a grey-toned material palette of raw concrete and brick paving, which slopes down to a stone-covered drainage area at the structure's centre.
ArtJUN 23, 2026

Helen Cammock Withdraws Video From National Portrait Gallery

Kamil Dad
Turner Prize-winning artist Helen Cammock withdrew her video installation, Persistence, from the National Portrait Gallery (NPG) in London following an intense public controversy regarding its depiction of Winston Churchill.The ControversyThe Claim: In her 40-minute video work, Cammock compared Oliver Cromwell's 17th-century military campaigns in Ireland to Churchill's actions during the 1943 Bengal famine, stating that Cromwell "starved people, en masse, a little like the wilful starvation of the Indian population by Winston Churchill."The Backlash: The installation provoked a swift response from historians and politicians. Churchill biographer Lord Andrew Roberts organized an open letter signed by more than 50 members of the House of Lords—including Churchill’s grandson, Sir Nicholas Soames—condemning the film's characterization as historically inaccurate. Critics argued the famine was caused by a typhoon and wartime supply disruptions rather than intentional policy.The Artwork ExplainedThe Commission: The film was commissioned in 2023 as part of the NPG's Artists First: Contemporary Perspectives on Portraiture initiative, which was supported by Chanel.The Core Themes: Persistence was designed as a creative critique of the gallery's permanent collection, questioning power dynamics, institutional erasure, and who historically receives the honor of portraiture.The Subjects: Alongside historical critiques, the film spotlighted marginalized or historically overlooked figures, such as suffragette Ethel Smyth, computer pioneer Ada Lovelace, and 19th-century Scottish fishing communities.The AftermathThe film originally opened in September 2025 and was scheduled to run through August 2026. However, following the mounting backlash, Cammock requested the piece be taken down.In a statement, the National Portrait Gallery clarified that they respect her decision and support artistic freedom, though they noted the film was an artistic expression and not a documentary. Cammock stood by the academic underpinning of her query but expressed disappointment over external pressures, stating that challenging institutional histories is vital to a healthy society.
ArtJUN 23, 2026

Jane Allan Stripped of Doyles Art Award After Painting Exposed as Copy of Nicholas Harding Work

Kamil Dad
Nicholas Harding’s 2011 oil painting, Two Estuary Figures, showcases his signature impasto technique, characterized by thick, visceral layers of paint that create a tactile, three-dimensional surface. The work features two solitary, unselfconscious figures on a beach: one stands on the left with their back to the viewer, while the other on the right bends forward, appearing to explore the shoreline. Harding uses a rich, "lusciously viscous" palette of creamy whites, deep greens, and earthy browns to evoke the brilliant light and atmosphere of the Australian coast. The composition captures a profound sense of "being in nature," focusing on the unadorned presence of human forms within a rugged, textured landscape rather than direct interaction between the subjects. This specific small-scale work (20 x 25 cm) gained renewed attention in June 2026 when a larger winning entry at a prestigious art prize was identified as a "blatant copy" of Harding's original.
InternationalJUN 23, 2026

PUMA's Speedcat Mule Arrives With ROSÉ Fronting a Motorsport-Meets-Streetwear Campaign

Zoya Mahroosh Zulfiqar
The PUMA Speedcat Mule campaign officially launched globally on June 23, 2026, fronted by PUMA Global Brand Ambassador and K-pop superstar Rosé from BLACKPINK. This release is an offbeat, backless reinterpretation of PUMA’s iconic low-profile motorsport shoe, shifting its athletic DNA into effortless lifestyle streetwear.
NewsJUN 23, 2026

London Museum Sets November Opening for Its £437 Million New Home in Smithfield

Kamil Dad
The new London Museum (formerly known as the Museum of London) will officially open its doors at its historic Smithfield Market location on November 28, 2026. This massive £437 million project transforms a series of near-derelict Victorian market buildings into one of Europe's largest new cultural destinations.
DesignJUN 23, 2026

Nigerian Indie Designers Clash Over iPhone 17 Pro Max Case Mockup in Viral Streetwear Debate

Zoya Mahroosh Zulfiqar
This close-up, high-angle shot showcases the rear camera modules of two flagship smartphones, likely iPhone models, resting side-by-side on a warm, reddish-brown surface. On the left, a light silver or titanium-colored device is positioned vertically, while a deep navy blue phone is angled diagonally from the upper right. Both devices feature a prominent, raised rectangular camera island with rounded corners, housing three large circular lenses arranged in a triangular pattern, accompanied by a small flash and a LiDAR sensor. The lighting is dramatic, casting deep shadows and highlighting the brushed metallic textures of the phone bodies and the concentric glass rings of the sophisticated lens arrays.
FashionJUN 23, 2026

Fashion Photographer Evgeny Vyguzov Announces 'Fragments of Growth' NFT Collection Built From Years of Travel

Zoya Mahroosh Zulfiqar
Evgeny Vyguzov (also known as Jenya Vyguzov) is a prominent multimedia artist, fashion photographer, and collage creator. Based out of Moscow, Russia, he has gained widespread international recognition for blending elements of haute couture, nature, and raw abstraction into distinctive mixed-media visual statements.
AnimationJUN 23, 2026

Tom Hanks Warns Disney Could Use AI to Voice Woody in 'Toy Story 6' Without His Involvement

Zoya Mahroosh Zulfiqar
Sheriff Woody Pride remains the iconic vintage pull-string cowboy doll we all know, but Toy Story 6 has not yet been officially released or detailed. Following the theatrical release of Toy Story 5, discussions regarding Woody's future role in a potential sixth installment have centered heavily on a major behind-the-scenes update regarding his voice actor, Tom Hanks.
AnimationJUN 23, 2026

New 'Ghost in the Shell' Trailer and English Dub Cast Arrive Ahead of July Premiere

Zoya Mahroosh Zulfiqar
The illustration depicts a side profile of Motoko Kusanagi, a woman with distinctive short, jagged blue hair, in a contemplative or dormant state. She is a full-body cyborg, shown with various mechanical interfaces and wires connected to ports on her back and arms. She wears a white, form-fitting bodysuit with cutouts that reveal additional cybernetic detailing on her shoulders and spine. The background is a sterile, high-tech environment filled with numerous tangled data cables and industrial hazard-striped pillars, set in a pale blue and white color palette. An Amazon Prime Video logo is visible in the bottom-left corner, indicating the series' global streaming home.
MusicJUN 23, 2026

Pakistani Singer Tariq Tafu, Voice Behind 'Lahore Lahore Aye,' Dies at 58

Zoya Mahroosh Zulfiqar
Tariq Tafu was a prominent Pakistani folk singer and musician, best known for his massive 2004 cultural anthem "Lahore Lahore Aye". Born into an illustrious musical lineage, he spent his career blending traditional Punjabi folk elements with contemporary rhythms, heavily influencing the regional music landscape.Tragically, Tariq Tafu passed away at the age of 58 on June 22, 2026, after suffering a sudden cardiac arrest while undergoing emergency hospital treatment for severe abdominal pain in Lahore.
Digital ArtJUN 22, 2026

Online Art Communities Are Tearing Themselves Apart Over Unproven AI Accusations

Kamil Dad
This fanart features characters Mitsuri Kanroji and Shinobu Kochō from the anime series Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba.The artwork was created by artist Soyeonp19 and depicts the characters in a casual setting holding hands.It is categorized by fans as a "yuri" ship, which focuses on romantic relationships between women.The original artist faced harassment based on false accusations that this art was AI-generated, leading them to delete their social media accounts.
AnimationJUN 22, 2026

Dan Trachtenberg to Direct Animated Horror-Comedy 'Freddy the 13th' for Paramount

Zoya Mahroosh Zulfiqar
Freddy the 13th is an upcoming family-friendly, PG-rated animated horror-comedy movie developed by Paramount Animation. Officially announced at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival, the film is an adaptation of the late-2025 graphic novel of the same name created by Yehudi Mercado.

Most Popular

  1. 1Helen Cammock Withdraws Video From National Portrait Gallery
  2. 2Jane Allan Stripped of Doyles Art Award After Painting Exposed as Copy of Nicholas Harding Work
  3. 3PUMA's Speedcat Mule Arrives With ROSÉ Fronting a Motorsport-Meets-Streetwear Campaign
  4. 4Nigerian Indie Designers Clash Over iPhone 17 Pro Max Case Mockup in Viral Streetwear Debate
  5. 5Fashion Photographer Evgeny Vyguzov Announces 'Fragments of Growth' NFT Collection Built From Years of Travel