Hiba Schahbaz’s Labour of Love to Miami: “The Garden” at MOCA

The Museum of Contemporary Art North Miami presents The Garden, the first major retrospective of Karachi-born, Brooklyn-based artist Hiba Schahbaz, showcasing fifteen years of her practice. Curated by Jasmine Wahi, the exhibition is anchored in the idea of the jannat, or the Paradise Garden, a motif rooted in Islamic tradition and Sufi poetry.

Drawing on the geometry and symbolism of Persian and Mughal char-bagh (four-part garden) design, the show unfolds into a contemplative landscape that oscillates between personal and cultural memory. “Each painting holds memories, emotions,and moments,” Schahbaz told TAN, “particularly the interior spaces I depict, which resonate with an intense emotional clarity.”

Trained in the Indo-Persian miniature tradition at the National College of Arts in Lahore, and later at Pratt Institute in New York, Schahbaz works primarily in water-based pigments and tea on handmade paper. Her materials evoke a deep sense of ritual and care and her soft, self-referential paintings center the female figure, frequently her own. “I became my own muse,” she says.

Over time, Schahbaz’s practice has evolved from small format to the larger commissioned works for MOCA. This shift in scale occurred during a period of physical recovery, when she could no longer stand for long stretches to work. To continue painting, she began piecing together multiple small sheets into larger surfaces, using sturdier paper. This practical adaptation allowed her to scale up and claim spatial agency. A striking example is the 2020 watercolor entitled Strength. Painted across multiple large sheets, it depicts a woman calmly staring at a lion whose gaze turns towards the viewer. The lion, a symbol of courage, epitomizes the fearlessness inherent in women of color taking up space.

The exhibition brings together loans from private collections dating as far back as 2012, work from her studio, and also newly commissioned pieces. Among the latter is a monumental 45-by-13-foot mermaid wall, described by Schahbaz as a true labor of love. Installed in a city surrounded by water and at the frontline of climate change, this work offers a moment of reflection, inviting awe, fluidity, and gratitude. Miami’s oceanic air and its lushness feel familiar to Schahbaz because she grew up on the Arabian Sea:

“the community, the cultures, the beauty—it feels like a homecoming.” In a time of political tension and uncertainty, the wall serves as a space for quiet restoration.  As the artist explains, the thirteen mermaids “are meant to be ephemeral and transient, existing in this moment. The paper cutouts at MOCA took up to 14 days to install. I began making these just for my studio and they have never been for sale. They bring me joy and my hope is that they elevate anyone experiencing them.” A daily meditator, Schahbaz’ grounded sense of peace permeates the exhibit. 

Much of the exhibition’s success stems from Schahbaz's complete trust in Wahi’s curatorial voice. The exhibit is rooted in the elements: earth, water, fire, air, which gently guide visitors through an immersive and sensual journey. “It’s not something I could have done on my own,” Schahbaz says. “I’ve watched Jasmine evolve as a curator and seen what she’s capable of. I can be pretty hands-on with curatorial decisions, but for this project, I really wanted to step back and let her lead. I trusted her creative vision. Seeing the work through her eyes gave me a whole new perspective.” 

Of all the institutions in Miami, MOCA’s commitment to presenting women artists of color is notable. The Garden is also the first museum exhibition in Miami pairing a South Asian curator with a South Asian artist. The museum, Schahbaz notes, “has been a generous collaborator—open, attentive, and willing to make space for artists and curators to shape the work.”

In The Garden, Hiba Schahbaz and MOCA offer Miami not merely an exhibition, but a fluid sanctuary of paradise reclaimed.