Asif Hoque's imagined worlds glow with the joyful, almost ethereal sheen of his lush, meditative palettes. In his recent work, the artist has shifted to a palette of rich golds and greens. Gold is a hue that holds great meaning for Hoque: as a reference to his Bengali heritage, which prizes gold as a gift to be given at birth, and for its reflective properties, which allow the artist to further his investigation into representations of luster and light. His characters, most notably the Bengal tiger, are sheathed in the lustrous glow of these colors. Throughout his oeuvre, Hoque fuses the art historical preoccupation with painted light, mythological lore, and his personal heritage to build worlds where stately Brown deities and sacred creatures rejoice among the natural elements.

Up Up and Away reflects Hoque's engagement with spirituality through a masterful painting practice rooted in Indo-Persian miniature techniques. Drawing on the precision, intricacy, and intimacy of the tradition, the artist creates a contemplative space that invites reflection on themes of devotion, transcendence, and inner life.