On 21 July 2025, an engaging artist talk was held in Bangkok featuring celebrated Pakistani artists R.M. Naeem and Sadaf Naeem, currently in residence as part of the MATDOT Art Residency Programme. The session coincided with their duo exhibition In Another Space, now on view in the Matdot Gallery. Marking their first collaborative exhibition in over two decades—and their joint debut in Thailand—the show offers a poignant reflection on memory, displacement, and personal truth through newly created works.

The talk began with a presentation of each artist’s creative journey, tracing their practices from student days to present professional careers. Audiences were given insight into their expanding approaches across diverse media, including painting, sculpture, mixed media, video, and installation.

Sadaf Naeem’s work often draws upon domestic materials such as lace and woven fabric to symbolise the veiling and silencing of women within Islamic cultural contexts. Her meticulous forms evoke both beauty and constraint. In contrast, R.M. Naeem focuses on historical and socio-political themes, including the 1971 secession of Bangladesh. His work confronts issues of conflict, trauma, and cultural memory within Pakistan’s turbulent political landscape.

A discussion on the current state of the Pakistani art scene followed, with both artists highlighting the challenges of censorship and limited freedom of expression under military-influenced governance. Certain subjects, such as nude forms, are still heavily stigmatised, pushing artists like R.M. Naeem to seek more private, remote spaces in which to produce work.

The talk concluded with an open discussion between the artists and a primarily student audience. The exchange proved lively and insightful, offering aspiring artists an inspiring perspective on resilience, cultural expression, and the role of art as both a personal and political act.