Saad Qureshi's 'On Paradise' Opens at Oxford's Schwarzman Centre
The University of Oxford's Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities is hosting 'On Paradise', an exhibition by Saad Qureshi, a British Pakistani artist, with Professor Paul Basu as curator. This exhibition, which marks the debut of the White Box gallery, will run from 2nd October to 6th December 2026 and is Qureshi's most extensive institutional showcase to date. It features newly commissioned pieces alongside sculptures from 2020, including 'mindscapes', intricately hand-cut wooden gates, a suspended moon, and a ship soaring through the sky. A significant paper tapestry (Tanabana) weaves together religious depictions of paradise. For the first time, sound is incorporated into Qureshi's work, created in partnership with Tim Cowie. This exhibition is part of the 'Utopia, Now!' cultural season and spans four historic museums in Oxford.
Key facts
- Exhibition 'On Paradise' runs from 2nd October to 6th December 2026 at the Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities, University of Oxford.
- Curated by anthropologist Professor Paul Basu of the Pitt Rivers Museum.
- Inaugural exhibition of the Schwarzman Centre's White Box gallery.
- Qureshi's largest institutional exhibition to date.
- Includes new commissions and sculptures previously shown at Yorkshire Sculpture Park in 2020.
- Features a sound collaboration with Tim Cowie, a first for Qureshi.
- Part of the 'Utopia, Now!' cultural season at the Schwarzman Centre.
- Works also displayed at the Ashmolean Museum, Pitt Rivers Museum, Oxford University Museum of Natural History, and History of Science Museum.
Entities
Artists
- Saad Qureshi
- Tim Cowie
- Christopher Thomas Allen
Institutions
- Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities
- University of Oxford
- Pitt Rivers Museum
- Yorkshire Sculpture Park
- Ashmolean Museum
- Oxford University Museum of Natural History
- History of Science Museum
Locations
- Oxford
- United Kingdom