PANG

Madyha J. Leghari’s solo exhibition PANG examines the tenuous and contradictory ethos of what is deemed natural in contemporary gestational and birthing practices. It critiques firstly the “tradwife” movement, a social media–driven subculture led by housewife influencers who promote heteronormative relationships and traditional gender roles.

Within this movement, Leghari argues, the construct of nature is weaponized under the guise of wellness and DIY practices to enforce submission. Simultaneously the exhibition contends with scientific dogmatism that pathologizes, surveils, and alienates the pregnant body.

Leghari proposes a dual approach of denaturing and rewilding to navigate these tensions. Working across sculpture, installation, and printed matter, she draws upon the visual language of standardized Western maternity care and holistic wellness culture to invoke the highly charged corporeality of pregnancy. Textual, poetic elements weaved throughout the works gesture toward alternative, speculative narratives of creation and care beyond biological determinism. From the tranquil sound of flowing water to the cold grip of medical exam instruments on fabricated skin, the exhibition invites a deeply sensory and unnerving experience.

Leghari renders the maternal body a vessel for planetary reflection. Through PANG, themes of labor, intimacy, and endurance rise to the foreground—urging contemplation.

Artist

Madyha J. Leghari (b. 1991) earned a BFA at the National College of Arts, Lahore, Pakistan (2013), and an MFA from the Massachusetts College of Art and Design (2018) on a Fulbright Scholarship.