Beyond the Seas Blue

Installation of ink and aquamarine pigment on paper drawings displayed on rehal at Galerie Cité internationale des arts in Paris
2022 & Ongoing

Asma Kazmi's Beyond the Seas Blue delves into the rich history of the Sar-i Sang lapis lazuli mine, located in remote Northeast Afghanistan. For almost 3000 years, this place was the sole source of a precious gemstone whose trade throughout the ancient and pre-modern world exemplified the cultural and material exchange between East and West.

Beyond the Seas Blue: Sar-i Sang Mine, 2022.
Painting with hand ground aquamarine pigment on watercolor paper, 24 x 36 inches.

The first iteration of this project, featuring drawings and sculptural installation elements, was showcased during Kazmi’s residency at Galerie Cité internationale des arts in Paris in 2022 (pictured). The exhibition featured a series of drawings that depict the Sar-i Sang mine, the lapis trade, and macro renderings of the unpolished stone painted with the aquamarine pigment famously derived from this mineral. These drawings were exhibited on rehal, traditional folding book holders for the Qur'an, which situate viewers on the floor and serve as a uniquely Islamic display device.

Beyond the Seas Blue: Processing Lapis Ore, 2022.
Painting with hand ground aquamarine pigment on watercolor paper, 24 x 36 inches.

This project aims to create a space beyond the past and present, one that activates the many historical and mythological narratives that originate in this site of extraction. As an American artist with a South Asian background working in Western, Eastern, and Islamic modalities, Kazmi is subjectively entangled with the geographic and art historical exchange exemplified by the circulation of lapis. 

Beyond the Seas Blue: Global Trade Networks, 2022.
Painting with hand ground aquamarine pigment on watercolor paper, 24 x 36 inches.

Beyond the Seas Blue: Installation at Galerie Cité internationale des arts in Paris, 2022.
Paintings with hand ground aquamarine pigment on watercolor paper displayed on wooden rehal.

Kazmi is currently expanding this project, making use of contemporary virtual reality technologies to create a speculative and experimental museum that transports viewers to a representation of the remote mine. In this immersive space, they encounter 3D renderings of Western and non-Western lapis artifacts displayed in alcoves inspired by Islamic architecture. These objects are contextualized with sound, text, and maps derived from Kazmi’s art historical research, enabling viewers to situate themselves in the complexities of this ongoing cultural exchange.