What happened: Two Pakistanis have advanced to the final stage of the 2022 Sovereign Asian Art Prize, South Asia’s largest art prize. From over 400 entries, Ayesha Quraishi and Marium Agha were chosen. The finalists represent 16 Asian countries and regions, with Hong Kong having the most representatives, followed by China, Iran, Singapore, and Vietnam. About Marium Agha: Marium Agha, aged 40, has a BFA from Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture, an MFA from University of The Arts London, Central Saint Martins, London, and has finished a Curating Contemporary Art course at Chelsea School of Art and Design, London. The artist stated the following about her work: “Created using found tapestries from a Karachi flea market, I have deconstructed the fabric and altered the weave to create a new narrative. Each thread is then meticulously carved into the existing surface with an “ari” (embroidery needle).” About Ayesha Qureshi: Ayesha, the second finalist, has worked in a style that has come naturally to her since childhood, her method resembling braille. She is in continual physical contact with two materials: the surface and the paint. “Quraishi’s hands execute two functions at the same time,” a site explained, “the right imparting colour to the surface while the left cleanses it with a turpentine-soaked rag.” A visceral language of sequential mark marking emerges from this set of repetitive hand movements and actions.