“I am completely different now. I lived in Pakistan between 1962-1982, I feel I can’t live there anymore because the atmosphere of the place and people have changed so much. Pakistan will always be in my heart because it the country I was born in, where my parents were born and where my parents rest in peace. But the UK, this is where I live, this is where my husband is from and it is where my children were born.”— Nargis Wahid, formerly known as, Zaibunnisa.

This book accompanies photographer Maryam Wahid’s first major exhibition in her home city of Birmingham.

‘Zaibunnisa‘ refers to the artist’s mothers name prior to emigrating from Pakistan to the UK in 1982, for an arranged marriage.  ‘Zaibunnisa’ means ‘the beauty of women’.

At its heart, is the poignant relationship between the artist and her mother and their journey to Lahore together in 2019.

It was Wahid’s first-ever visit to Pakistan and her mother’s first return visit in over twenty years.

Featuring essays from British-Indian interdisciplinary photographic artist and curator Bindi Vora, as well as visual artist, Rabbania Shirjeel.

The book also features diary entries by the artist herself.

English and Urdu text (includes Urdu poem).

Accompanies the exhibition ‘Maryam Wahid: Zaibunnisa’, 5th Feb – 18 Apr 2022, Midlands Arts Centre (MAC), Birmingham.