ISLAMABAD: Six artists have come together to present a compelling collection of artworks in the capital city, exploring the complex intersections of identity, culture, and the conceptofspace.

The show, titled `Personal Portal`, curated by Robella Ahmed opened on Friday at Daastangoi Gallery, secluded in a sprawling farmhouse featuring a blend of styles and mediums that invite viewers into unexplored realms and challenge conventionalperspectives.

It offers a rich tapestry of interpretations that challenge viewers to reconsider the spaces they occupy both physically and metaphysically. Through diverse mediums and compelling narratives, the exhibition creates a dialogue that explores the fluid boundaries of identity and belonging.

`In our ever-evolving lives, the concept of the third space emerges as a crucial element of human experience,` said Ms Ahmed, an independent art curator currently based in Lahore.

She gained her curatorialtraining from the Node Centre of Curatorial Studies, Berlin, Germany.

Ms Ahmed said: `A third space is neither home nor work; it is the inbetween, the place where society interacts and evolves.

`These virtual spaces allow individuals to access perspectives, feelings and relationships thatresonate with their own identity and journey,` she explained.

One standout of the exhibition is A.B. Rahman`s innovative AR codethemed artwork, `The Lady of the Social Platform-II` rendered in acrylic on canvas and augmented reality symbolises the intersection of digital technology and timeless mythology.

Rahman`s VR and AR elements serve as gateways to new realities, amplifying the inherent powers of Venus, a symbol of eternal femininity, beauty, love and desire.

`By merging the past with the future, I aim to inspire a new generation to re-imagine their strengthand possibilities,` Rahman stated.

Ahsan Javaid has displayed pieces like `North East`, `North West`, and `South East` in oil on canvas.

`I understand the existence ofthe selfas athird space:one that shifts between the internal and external,` Javaid said.

The smog of Lahore serves as a backdrop for his imaginative recreations, where familiar landscapes are layered with symbols of growth and resilience,the curatorelaborated.

`My canvases become spaces of renewal and decay, where home is an ever-changing concept,` Javaid reflected.

Lahore-based artist Ahsan Memon`s portraits offer another dimension to the exhibition.`The portraits I make are living yet appear like plants silent, shedding, and regrowing,` Memon shared.

His technique emphasises raw authenticity using stains and gradual transformations, symbolising life`s cyclicalnature.

Arslan Faroogi`s `Where Faith Floats` series, rendered in gouache on paper, delves into mythological and spiritual themes.He uses natural patterns and water-like textures to depict life`s unseen guidingforces.

Hamid Ali Hanbhi`s multidisciplinary approach spans drawing, painting, and large-scale installations. His career began with cinema board painting in Jacobabad, Sindh, which influenced his vibrant visual language.

Hanbhi`s works like `The Silence of Ochre` and `Echoes of Resistance` reimagine scenes from political andromantic cinema, blending them into complex dialogues.

`My art extracts new meanings from familiar visuals, creating layered narratives that transport viewers,` Hanbhi remarked.

Syed Hussain`s work highlights the ethos of displacement, `other`, and identity struggles of the Hazara community who faced persecution and violence for a long time in Afghanistan and Pakistan`sBalochistan province.

Featured in his `Displacement Series` are pieces such as `Portrait 98` and `Portrait 99`.

`As a Hazara, I have always felt the weight of being an outsider, Hussain shared.

His practice, rooted in traditional Indo-Persian miniature painting, draws on old legal documents and personal family records to question identity.