Penn College exhibition explores 1947 India-Pakistan partition

The Gallery at Penn College is pleased to feature internationally acclaimed artist Taha Ahmad in its 2025-2026 season opening. “Drawn into two, which way home?” implores visitors to consider the ways in which the trauma and displacement of the 1947 partition of India and Pakistan can be used to foster a deeper understanding of the human race.

The exhibition will run from Aug. 19 through Sept. 30 in the gallery, on the third floor of Pennsylvania College of Technology’s Madigan Library.

Ahmad’s project “frames the life of victims and survivors, along with their reforged identities and corroded memories,” including the present-day reality of the Punjab province. Everyday struggles of identity, drug issues, depredation, violence, and Indo-Pak wars, as well as love across borders, female oppression, and religious fundamentalism all are explored in a series of artwork captured on sheer curtains, with mirrors and through other media.

According to Penny G. Lutz, gallery director, the installation is meant to encourage visitors to focus on the experience and the intergenerational trauma associated with the events of 1947.

“Ahmad’s extensive research included meeting people who have been unable to share their stories over the years – people who may have lost their entire extended families, or people who may still not know what happened to their siblings,” Lutz said. “This unique work explores the devastating division that impacted millions of lives.”

A visual artist, Ahmad believes photography has a strong influence in creating and developing discourse for the future. His work has been exhibited in museums and galleries across the globe, and he has been featured among 150 photographers in “Photography Rules: Essential Do’s and Don’ts from Great Photographers” by author, photographer and academic Paul Lowe.

“Ahmad’s work was selected for his outstanding photography, as well as the historical significance of the project,” Lutz said. “The gallery committee (comprised of faculty, staff and regional artists) received hundreds of entries for the two available solo exhibition slots.”

The Gallery at Penn College is open from 2 to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, noon to 4 p.m. Fridays and 1 to 5 p.m. Sundays. It is closed on Mondays and Saturdays and Aug. 31.  

In addition to serving as an educational resource for Penn College students and a cultural asset to the college and community, The Gallery at Penn College is dedicated to promoting art appreciation through exhibitions of contemporary art.

For information about Penn College, a national leader in applied technology education, visit www.pct.edu, email admissions@pct.edu or call toll-free 800-367-9222.