Cover In collaboration with Swire Properties, multidisciplinary artist Sara Shakeel brings her sparkles to Hong Kong (Photo: courtesy of Swire Properties)
In collaboration with Swire Properties, multidisciplinary artist Sara Shakeel brings her sparkles to Hong Kong (Photo: courtesy of Swire Properties)
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Pakistani artist Sara Shakeel has been redefining the boundaries of art with her striking use of crystals and digital tools like AI. As she prepares for her upcoming exhibition in Hong Kong, she sits down with Tatler for a conversation on South Asian identity, empowerment and the transformative power of beauty
Global issues and sparkles, anyone? The two words seem to belong to two radically different worlds, but Pakistani artist Sara Shakeel has juxtaposed these seemingly contrasting things in her artwork.
The London-based Pakistani multidisciplinary artist has garnered acclaim for her strikingly vibrant images that spread awareness of women’s empowerment, global conflicts and racism… with sparkles.
“There’s this misconception that sparkles are just for decoration,” she tells Tatler. “But to me, sparkle is a poem where words are written with crystals and everything is reflective. It’s a way of reframing pain, struggle and resilience. Crystals, like truth, cannot be ignored. They shine in the darkness. That’s exactly how I want my art to function—beautiful but with a meaning that refuses to be overlooked.”
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Shakeel has mastered the art of adding sparkles, crystals and gems in her works through collage, digital manipulation and lately AI. This gives her work a kind of undeniable visual appeal that makes her art “very Instagrammable”. But beyond that, many of her 1.5 million Instagram followers are as likely drawn by images of cute cats as they are by her more political works such as an art piece depicting a halo around George Floyd’s portrait—the US civilian whose death through police brutality in 2020 sparked movements to end systemic racism around the world.
Above Sara Shakeel’s art piece calling for the end of police brutality following the murder of George Floyd in 2020 (Photo: Instagram / @sarashakeel)
Above Sara Shakeel’s work celebrates the beauty of deserts (Photo: Instagram / @sarashakeel)
Sara Shakeel’s art piece calling for the end of police brutality following the murder of George Floyd in 2020 (Photo: Instagram / @sarashakeel)
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Above Sara Shakeel’s first body of work, posted on Instagram under the hashtag #glitterstretchmarks (Photo: Instagram / @sarashakeel)
Above Sara Shakeel’s work celebrates the beauty of South Asian cultures (Photo: Instagram / @sarashakeel)
Sara Shakeel’s first body of work, posted on Instagram under the hashtag #glitterstretchmarks (Photo: Instagram / @sarashakeel)
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Shakeel says, “Crystals, gemstones and diamonds are a metaphor for resilience, something that has gone through immense pressure and time to become something brilliant. A crystal can take the dullest light and turn it into a rainbow, just like art can take pain, love or nostalgia and turn it into something beautiful.”
Her own identity contributes to this multilayered narrative. As a South Asian, she says crystals are part of her culture and everyday life—and a natural tool of choice for art. Her heritage influences her artistic vision in several ways. “Being a Muslim woman in the art world means constantly navigating between tradition and innovation, heritage and individuality. But that’s what makes my work so personal.
“Women have been told that certain things about them, such as stretch marks, aren’t beautiful. I want to take something that women are often made to feel ashamed of and turn it into something celebrated, adored, and yes, even glamorous.”
She does this because “ultimately, beauty is a language people gravitate towards—it draws them in, makes them stop and feel something. Once you have their attention, you have the chance to say something important. Some people come for the sparkle and leave with a new perspective. Others come for the message and stay for the art. Either way, the conversation is happening and that’s what matters to me.” Shakeel is bringing these conversations to Hong Kong for art month.
From March 22 to April 27, she’s partnering with Swire Properties to create two art installations named Genesis in Jewels and The Jewel System, as part of the ArtisTree Selects: The Jewel System showcase. Both installations will be located at ArtisTree and Two Taikoo Place.
“This exhibition at Taikoo Place is a testament to our commitment to creatively transform our spaces through collaborations with creative minds from around the world,” says Winsze Chung, general manager of Taikoo Place, Swire Properties. “Together with Shakeel, our team undertook meticulous planning to align her vision with the exhibition’s narrative, whilst optimising the versatility of our space.”
Swire Properties’ spaces are indeed being pushed to their limits with these installations: The Jewel System is taking the form of a collection of planets that range from 1.5 metres to 4 metres in diameter while Genesis in Jewel measures almost 7 metres tall. They were made in collaboration with Shakeel’s team of 80 artisans in Pakistan who, applying age-old Pakistani techniques, have used more than 3.9 million pieces of ethically sourced coloured crystals onto the surface of each globe, combining textiles, crystals and cultural symbolism.
Above AI rendition of the ‘The Jewel System’ (Photo: Instagram / @sarashakeel)
Above AI rendition of the ‘The Jewel System’ (Photo: Instagram / @sarashakeel)
AI rendition of the ‘The Jewel System’ (Photo: Instagram / @sarashakeel)
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Above AI rendition of the ‘The Jewel System’ (Photo: Instagram / @sarashakeel)
Above AI rendition of the ‘The Jewel System’ (Photo: Instagram / @sarashakeel)
AI rendition of the ‘The Jewel System’ (Photo: Instagram / @sarashakeel)
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“The embroidery techniques used—zardozi, resham, dabka, mukesh— are the same techniques used in royal garments, in heirlooms passed down for generations,” she says. “I wanted to take that tradition and apply it to something monumental for the world to see and relate to. It’s my way of showing that these techniques, these artisans, deserve to be seen on the grandest scale possible.”
Chung adds that Swire Properties’ collaboration with Shakeel aims to honour the intersectional identity of the artist through the ArtisTree Selects exhibition: “It’ll be an ‘intersection’ that seamlessly merges art and our mission to craft thought-provoking journeys of self-discovery, to inspire a new generation of art aficionados and creatives alike.”
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Salomé Grouard was Digital Editor and Front & Female Content Lead at Tatler Hong Kong. Primarily focused on managing Tatler Hong Kong’s digital platform and content, she also covers gender equality, the music scene and sports through interviews with industry leaders, experts and trendsetters.
Interview highlights include renowned conservationist Dr Jane Goodall, Korean actor Park Seo Jun, singer Jorja Smith, Chinese TV host Yue-Sai Kan, YouTuber Kimono Mom, Japanese rapper Awich, and Brazilian jiu-jitsu fighter Mikey Musumeci.
She has also produced stories on revolutionising sexual wellness in Asia, activism within the surfing community, Asian trans musicians reclaiming their narratives through music and looked at the toxicity of gym culture through the lens of the plus-size community. She also covers music festivals, such as Hong Kong’s Clockenflap and Bali’s Suara.
