Tigers & Dragons: The Friday Find

12 - 19 June 2026
Tigers & Dragons, The Friday Find

This week isn't a find, but a feature highlighting the fantastic exhibition Tigers & Dragons: India and Wales in Britain, which took place at Glynn Vivian Art Gallery in Swansea in 2025.

 

The exhibition was curated by Zehra Jumabhoy and Katy Freer and explored the deep-rooted connections between the Indian Subcontinent and Wales. Click here for Zehra’s introduction to the show.

 

The show has recently been highly commended by the Association for Art History and features several artists that the gallery has shown in the past. 

 

We wanted to highlight their achievements, and mention a few institutional shows that are currently happening in the UK, which feature the work of gallery artists.  Lots of links this week, maybe time to put the kettle on...

  • "'Tigers & Dragons' explores the iconography of South Asian nations and Wales, examining how they have imagined themselves-or been imagined-over the centuries. If India was the Jewel in the Imperial Crown, could we argue that Wales was England's first colony?

     

    'As Wales struggles for its identity within 'British-ness', it is timely to reassess the way it contributed to, benefited from, and even suffered for Britain's Imperial ambitions. The show investigates the British Empire's legacy and its continuing relevance for Welsh identity as well as for India, Pakistan and Bangladesh."

     

     

    As well as the exhibition, which featured over 100 artworks by around 70 artists from Wales, England, India and Pakistan, there was an 8 hour continuous performance by Nikhil Chopra – From Land to Fire, referring to Swansea’s industrial past, and drawing parallels between ‘Bombay’ and Swansea’s Imperial and industrial histories.

  • One of the focal points of the show was a monumental tapestry by Adeela Suleman. The work was titled Imperium Amidst Opium Blossoms: A Kashidakari on the era of the East India Company.  A full description of the meaning and significance of this work would take up all of our space here, so do follow this link to read about this work in detail, and to see more images of her large scale tapestries.

     

    You can also listen to a 16 minute interview with Adeela on the Glynn Vivian website.
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    Learn More: Adeela Suleman
  • “My tapestry, Imperium Amidst Opium Blossoms, is a rumination on the enduring, often painful, entanglements of commerce, conflict, and identity...

    “My tapestry, Imperium Amidst Opium Blossoms, is a rumination on the enduring, often painful, entanglements of commerce, conflict, and identity forged by the British Empire.

     

    ‘This work is realized through the intricate Mughal-era technique of Kashida, which combines silk appliqué with hand-stitched embellishments. The use of this South Asian heritage technique is central, connecting the work to the region's rich artisanal traditions while reflecting on the Empire's impact. The tapestry fundamentally addresses the entwined fates of India’s Tiger and Wales’s Red Dragon.

     

    ‘Through its layered textures and rich symbolism, the work invites viewers to reflect on the complex legacies of empire, resistance, and the enduring impact on cultural and historical memory.”

     

    This piece was located at the centre of the main gallery, next to another of her works; Remembering Tipu: An allegorical tribute to Tipu’s last standard at Seringapatam, which was originally part of her solo exhibition at the gallery in October 2024.

     

    Examples of Adeela’s painted ceramics currently appear in the V&A’s exhibition ‘Rising Voices: Contemporary Art from Asia, Australia and the Pacific’.

  • Several of Faiza Butt’s delicate ceramic works featured in Tigers & Dragons, as well as a blue and white painting. Faiza is currently representing Pakistan at this year’s Venice Biennale with her exhibition Punj. AB – A Sublime Terrain, curated by Beatriz Cifuentes Feliciano.  The exhibition consists of portraits, large scale tapestries, bejewelled medals, paintings and a 2 channel video installation.

     

    To read about Faiza’s presentation in Venice, please visit this link, which goes into details about all aspects of the exhibition.
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  • Recent work by Faiza Butt
    • Faiza Butt Icon-10, 2025 ink on polyester film 40 x 40 cm 15 3/4 x 15 3/4 in
      Faiza Butt
      Icon-10, 2025
      ink on polyester film
      40 x 40 cm
      15 3/4 x 15 3/4 in
      Enquire
    • Faiza Butt Icon, 2020 Print and ink on fine art paper 45 x 30 cm 17 3/4 x 11 3/4 in
      Faiza Butt
      Icon, 2020
      Print and ink on fine art paper
      45 x 30 cm
      17 3/4 x 11 3/4 in
      Enquire
    • Faiza Butt Impermanance-3, 2020 Print and ink on fine art paper 30 x 40 cm 11 3/4 x 15 3/4 in
      Faiza Butt
      Impermanance-3, 2020
      Print and ink on fine art paper
      30 x 40 cm
      11 3/4 x 15 3/4 in
      Enquire
    • Faiza Butt Cornucopia 1, 2024 Porcelain with underglazes 19 x 34 cm 7 1/2 x 13 3/8 in
      Faiza Butt
      Cornucopia 1, 2024
      Porcelain with underglazes
      19 x 34 cm
      7 1/2 x 13 3/8 in
      Enquire
    • Faiza Butt Layla on Spotify, 2026 Acrylic on board 160 x 120 cm 63 x 47 1/4 in
      Faiza Butt
      Layla on Spotify, 2026
      Acrylic on board
      160 x 120 cm
      63 x 47 1/4 in
      Enquire
    • Faiza Butt Gorgo I, 2023 Ink on paper 58.4 x 45.7 cm 23 x 18 in Signed, titled and dated on the backboard 'Gorgo-I/ Faiza/ 2023/ London'
      Faiza Butt
      Gorgo I, 2023
      Ink on paper
      58.4 x 45.7 cm
      23 x 18 in
      Signed, titled and dated on the backboard 'Gorgo-I/ Faiza/ 2023/ London'
      Enquire
  • 'Punj.AB – A Sublime Terrain' ultimately proposes a way of thinking about history that is neither linear nor fixed. It... 'Punj.AB – A Sublime Terrain' ultimately proposes a way of thinking about history that is neither linear nor fixed. It... 'Punj.AB – A Sublime Terrain' ultimately proposes a way of thinking about history that is neither linear nor fixed. It... 'Punj.AB – A Sublime Terrain' ultimately proposes a way of thinking about history that is neither linear nor fixed. It... 'Punj.AB – A Sublime Terrain' ultimately proposes a way of thinking about history that is neither linear nor fixed. It... 'Punj.AB – A Sublime Terrain' ultimately proposes a way of thinking about history that is neither linear nor fixed. It... 'Punj.AB – A Sublime Terrain' ultimately proposes a way of thinking about history that is neither linear nor fixed. It... 'Punj.AB – A Sublime Terrain' ultimately proposes a way of thinking about history that is neither linear nor fixed. It... 'Punj.AB – A Sublime Terrain' ultimately proposes a way of thinking about history that is neither linear nor fixed. It...

    'Punj.AB – A Sublime Terrain' ultimately proposes a way of thinking about history that is neither linear nor fixed. It is carried through materials, through gestures, and through the people who sustain them. What is foregrounded is not the monument alone, but the conditions that produce it, and the traces that remain long after.

     

    Beatriz Cifuentes-Feliciano

  • Muzzumil Ruheel is an artist we’ve shown several times over the years, most recently at Art Dubai in 2023 as...

    Muzzumil Ruheel is an artist we’ve shown several times over the years, most recently at Art Dubai in 2023 as part of the group show RED.  He was represented by his painting Until the Lion Learns to Write.

     

    “History is not always fair. More often than not, it is told by those with the power to speak, while others are left unheard. Until the Lion Learns to Write asks: who gets to tell the story, and who is forgotten?  The image of a tiger’s skin recalls a history of power and domination… But this is not just about the animal—it’s about silencing something once alive, wild, and free. The tiger is no longer a being. It is now an object. The image echoes the proverb: “Until the lion learns to write, every story will glorify the hunter.” As long as only the powerful speak, the truth remains one-sided. This work doesn’t rewrite history—it holds up a mirror to the way it is told. It reminds us how facts can be shaped, how memories can be selective, and how power decides what is remembered and what is erased.”

    - MR

  • Available work by Muzzumil Ruheel
    • Muzzumil Ruheel The Unveiling , 2022-23 Ink and acrylic on canvas 76.2 x 58.4 cm 30 x 23 in
      Muzzumil Ruheel
      The Unveiling , 2022-23
      Ink and acrylic on canvas
      76.2 x 58.4 cm
      30 x 23 in
      Enquire
    • Muzzumil Ruheel Navigating Through , 2022-23 Ink and acrylic on canvas 76.2 x 58.4 cm 30 x 23 in
      Muzzumil Ruheel
      Navigating Through , 2022-23
      Ink and acrylic on canvas
      76.2 x 58.4 cm
      30 x 23 in
      Enquire
    • Muzzumil Ruheel Beyond Boundaries , 2022-23 Ink and acrylic on canvas 121.9 x 91.4 cm 48 x 36 in
      Muzzumil Ruheel
      Beyond Boundaries , 2022-23
      Ink and acrylic on canvas
      121.9 x 91.4 cm
      48 x 36 in
      Enquire

  • Bushra Waqas Khan | Jameel Prize: Poetry to Politics | V&A
  • Bushra Waqas Khan took part in our 2021 exhibition Patterns of the Past: Weaving Heritage in ‘Pakistani’ Art, curated by...
    Breacan on display at Glynn Vivian.

    Bushra Waqas Khan took part in our 2021 exhibition Patterns of the Past: Weaving Heritage in ‘Pakistani’ Art, curated by Zehra Jumabhoy.  Bushra was a nominee for the 2021 Jameel Prize and In this video produced by the V&A, she discusses her artistic process and the materials used for her beautifully intricate sculptures.

     

    Glynn Vivian also recorded an interview with Bushra, which is available to listen to here.

  • Available work by Bushra Waqas Khan
    • Bushra Waqas Khan Blodeuwedd, 2025 Silk, Velvet, Gilding on Organza, & Swarovski Crystals H 45.7 cm x W variable
      Bushra Waqas Khan
      Blodeuwedd, 2025
      Silk, Velvet, Gilding on Organza, & Swarovski Crystals
      H 45.7 cm x W variable
      Enquire
    • Bushra Waqas Khan Breacan, 2025 Silk H 61 cm x W variable
      Bushra Waqas Khan
      Breacan, 2025
      Silk
      H 61 cm x W variable
      Enquire

  • The Glynn Vivian’s web page dedicated to the exhibition contains many more audio clips, videos and tours of the show.  Yes, we realise you can no longer visit the exhibition, but it lives on through the fantastic archival work the museum and curators have done.  You can also take a virtual tour of the show.  If only more shows lived on in this way. The credit is well deserved.

     

    Most of the works listed in this week's Friday Find are available to view at the gallery by appointment. Please contact us for more information.

     

    Thank you to the Glynn Vivian Art Gallery for the wonderful installation images.