Lahore (GNP): Internationally acclaimed Pakistani artist Sara Shakeel has held a solo exhibition in Lahore titled You Can See Through Me, presenting a body of work that combines X-ray imagery, crystals and gemstones to explore themes of love, feminism, beauty and spirituality.
The exhibition, staged at Remix Café in Gulberg, featured 25 artworks and marked Shakeel’s continued exploration of what she describes as digital crystals, a signature style built around maximalist use of glitter, gemstones and skeletal imagery that has become closely associated with her artistic identity.
Among the standout pieces was an artwork depicting two human figures embracing, rendered in an X-ray-like style and studded with crystals in shades of pink, green, blue, amber, purple and gold. The piece pointed to inner human beauty and intimacy, while also inviting interpretation around rising materialism and its impact on human connection. A related work showing a couple in a similar embrace extended this theme, with its skeletal presentation allowing the piece to speak beyond gender, age or ethnicity.
Feminism emerged as one of the exhibition’s central themes, most directly in a piece featuring a raised middle finger adorned with gemstones and jewellery, softening its confrontational tone while reinforcing its message of defiance. Other works extended this theme through depictions of motherhood and pregnancy, sisterhood among groups of women, and a stiletto symbolising power and assertiveness, each using crystals, gemstones or, in one case, flowers in place of crystals to convey continuity and individual identity within collective experience.
Spirituality featured prominently as well, with several works set against black backgrounds that placed the glow of crystals and gemstones at the centre of each composition. The exhibition also included artworks focused on individual body parts such as hands, feet and skulls, reimagined through the same technique to appear dazzling rather than grim.
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Shakeel’s use of faceless, X-ray-style imagery has become central to her artistic language, allowing her work to carry universal appeal beyond race, ethnicity or nationality while keeping focus on themes of inner self and spirituality. The predominantly black backgrounds across the exhibition further emphasised this contrast, drawing attention to both the colour of the crystals and the messages embedded within each piece.
Shakeel’s work has previously been exhibited in the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, Hong Kong and other countries, and she has collaborated with American rapper Chance the Rapper on his debut album, extending her practice beyond visual art. She has also been featured in Vogue magazine. Now based in London, Shakeel originally trained in dentistry before her crystal-based artwork on Instagram drew widespread attention and redirected her career, earning her recognition as the “Queen of Crystals.”
The Lahore exhibition was curated by Laila Premjee and Silah Saigol of LP Art Consultancy.
