The international art world turned its attention to the London offices of Stewarts, with the official opening of a gallery showcasing the striking work of Pakistani artist Suleman Aqeel Khilji. This opening celebrates Khilji’s achievement as the recipient of the prestigious 2025 Stewarts Prize.
The exhibition is a significant moment for Khilji, a graduate of the National College of Arts (NCA) in Lahore and the renowned Royal Academy of Arts. His win is a testament to the growing global recognition of Pakistani artists who blend traditional South Asian intellectual depth with contemporary European discourse.
The Poetics of Impermanence
Khilji’s work, primarily focused on painting, is a deeply contemplative exploration of memory, identity, and the transient nature of collective consciousness. He famously rejects traditional canvas in favor of linen, using thin layers of earth pigments and a glazing technique reminiscent of Old Masters to build up his images. This creates a compelling optical depth and haze in his figurative works.
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A particularly distinctive feature of his art is the incorporation of found objects, such as old books, wooden surfaces, or pieces of metal. Khilji views these weathered materials as “temporal characters,” treating them as surfaces for painting, which layers new narratives onto old, forgotten histories.
As Khilji explained when discussing the exhibition, he aims to present these objects he has “come to see as paintings,” inviting viewers to contemplate the passage of time and the blurred lines between fact and imagination.
Source: Stewarts
A Career on the Rise
Born in Quetta, Pakistan, in 1985, Khilji’s artistic journey has been marked by several international accolades and residencies, including the Munch’s Studio Foundation Residency and the Edna Rose Weiss Award from the Royal Academy of Arts.
His win of the 2025 Stewarts Prize is a major professional recognition, securing his place in the London art scene and affirming the sophisticated training received at the NCA Lahore.
The dedicated gallery space at Stewarts ensures that this nuanced and intellectually rigorous body of work remains visible to an international audience, further cementing Khilji’s reputation as a vital voice in contemporary painting today.
I was fortunate to catch @royalacademy’s MA Show back in June. My favorite presentation was Suleman Aqeel Khilji’s which featured works like Mirage, The Umpire, Dost (Old Friend) and Raag II. His ability to transform linen into a seemingly-panel medium is remarkable. What also… pic.twitter.com/L2V6Te7zqF
— drew elliott | M & Acquaye (@de_acquaye) November 17, 2025
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