Risham Syed situates symbols of influence and the power of the past with those from contemporary Pakistani society, often creating ironic and provoking tableaux. Employing Victorian values instilled through her missionary schooling and from socio-cultural vestiges of the colonial past, Syed excavates the differences in class, gender, race and histories. The remains of cultural inheritance are examined to reveal the nature of their origins and their perceived authenticity in present day Pakistan.  As disparate materials and symbols are juxtaposed in installations, paintings and drawings by the artist, they all share a unique resonance as plays of power. Whether sited in “Karakul”, a coveted sheepskin -- from which caps were made and worn by Jinnah, founding father of Pakistan, and now by those in the upper echelons is placed adjacent to the election symbol of the powerful Muslim League, the tiger. Centered within a Victorian salon-style installation including paintings, cross-stitch and vintage photographs,  is a large silvery plush “Cushion” in a gilded frame evoking the cold comfort of a throne.  Two upholstered Victorian chairs impart a theatrical milieu for the understanding and representation of nation-building with the artist’s version of Thomas Cole’s 19th century painting “Indians Viewing the Landscape”. White marble, the medium of choice for centuries for Greeks, Romans and Mughals, is the material for an elaborate fireplace in “Hearth” which strokes domesticity while cradling a blast off. The symbols of smoke, arms and fire have surfaced frequently in Syed’s works, and reflect the increased violence in Pakistan, and the will to tame the insurgency, yet another power play.