Dastaangoi Gallery presents The North

A Portrait of Rakaposhi Mountain

Saara Knapp
150x100cm, oil on canvas, 2023

This painting acts not only as a portrait of a powerful and unique place, describing a landscape that will likely drastically change in the coming years due to our changing climate- but also takes the viewer on a metaphysical journey. Rakaposhi is the only peak on Earth that drops directly, uninterrupted, for almost 6000m from the summit to the base. One can imagine that if they just traveled on the small dirt path through the meadow of the foreground for long enough, they could reach the glacier at the base of the snowy mountain, perhaps even continuing on through the ice to reach the top.

Attabad Lake at the Golden Hour

Saara Knapp
150x95cm, oil on canvas, 2023

This painting is based on a plein air study made on the edge of the Karakoram Highway, where the artist observed the natural contrast between the lake’s incredibly blue waters and the bright golden light on the surrounding cliffs. It depicts a beautiful and serene scene in the Hunza Valley of Pakistan, where the lake is one of the biggest tourist attractions in Gilgit-Baltistan. Yet under the golden light and the cerulean waters lies the remains of the village destroyed by the creation of Attabad Lake from a landslide in 2010. This painting serves as record of the tension of changing landscapes, the scars they leave behind, and the resilience of the people who live in them.

On View August 24 - September 23 2023

@ ICD Brookfield Place, Dubai, UAE

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THE NORTH

The North leads the viewer on a journey to the intersection of the world’s three tallest mountain ranges -the Karakoram, Himalaya and Hindu Kush as an opportunity to witness the compelling narratives woven into Pakistan’s breathtaking landscapes and mountain ranges.

These stories illustrate the harmful impacts of climate change on our natural world. Once-glacial peaks, a defining feature of these mountains, now gradually withering away, causing calamities that ripple not only within Pakistan but also far beyond its borders.

In 2022, the echoes of climate change materialised in the form of flash floods, affecting 33 million people. With over 1,700 lives lost, and a toll of more than 2.2 million houses damaged or destroyed. The catastrophic consequences submerged one-third of the country into water.

The recent floods are a reminder of the need to address climate change and its effects. As climate change continues to pose an existential threat, it is imperative for the global community to take collective action to protect vulnerable communities, preserve ecosystems, and build a sustainable and climate-resilient future.

The North follows the journey of three artists from the prestigious Florence Academy of Art: Austrian painter Louis Szápáry, Finnish-American painter Saara Knapp, British painter Phoebe Stewart Carter, along with the @dastaangoi team. Their perspectives uniquely frame the narratives interwoven within these landscapes

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