“Liaqat Rasul’s arresting work is full of colour, texture and personality. It draws you in as the intricacies of the layers and graphic elements start to unfold before your eyes,” says Catherine Ince. “I, like Liaqat, like papers and pens and humble, everyday, found materials; he seems to work intuitively but the shapes and abstract forms are often quite familiar and speak to people, place and cultures on a fundamental level.”

After connecting through social media during the pandemic, the duo recently met in person at Rasul’s Grosvenor Gallery exhibition ‘Patterns of the Past: Weaving Heritage in Pakistani Art’ in Mayfair. The exhibition, held in collaboration with Canvas Gallery, Karachi, brought together five contemporary ‘Pakistani’ artists; each of whom use textiles to unravel conventional notions of art, heritage, nation and identity. While these artists have been defined as ‘Pakistani’, this show and its works aim to dismantle inter/national stereotypes about ‘Pakistani art’. Liaqat Rasul’s work was displayed alongside works by Bushra Waqas Khan, David Alesworth, Adeela Suleman and Ruby Chishti.

Catherine Ince says: “Talking together, I realised that we have lots of friends in common and that I had come across Liaqat’s work before, through his fashion label Ghulam Sakina [the label closed in 2009 after 10 years]. It was perhaps inevitable that our paths would cross again, and no surprise I was instantly attracted to Liaqat’s graphic style and passionate energy. I’m excited about his forthcoming Crafts Council and TOAST residency and hope more people discover his joyous, complex and positive art.”

This year’s TOAST Creative Residency will include a three-day programme of talks, workshops and live demonstrations hosted both online and in person at the Crafts Council Gallery, Islington between 21-23 October. Rasul will share his innovative ways of working with found materials, from envelopes and old stamps to egg boxes, paper cups and plates, in conversation with curator of creative partnerships and programmes Annabelle Campbell. His final piece, inspired by the seasonal campaign titled ‘Rewilding’, will later be donated to the Crafts Council collection.

For Rasul, making art is an act of hope. He hopes the viewer takes in different elements of his collages, in their own time, meditatively, distracted from smart phones and the persistently digital world.

He says: “I’m so grateful to be able to create my art. Life is hard, I’ve spent a long time juggling the life and work formula. I’m gaining equilibrium as I type, being OK is the new sexy.

“My biggest achievement is to keep going and explore my art practice, falling flat on my face and getting up again, managing my mental health.”