Students and faculty from the Department of Fine Art, IVS, visited Mohatta Palace to view Imperium Amidst Opium Blossoms (2025), a monumental 17′ x 17′ tapestry by Adeela Suleman and the largest made in Pakistan since 1947. Displayed for only three days (May 7-9), the work uses Kashidakari, a Mughal-era embroidery technique combining silk appliqué and hand-stitched embellishments to evoke the grandeur of the Mughals and the rise of British colonial power.

The tapestry showcases key figures from the East India Company (EIC) and explores its impact on India, China, and Wales. Central to the narrative are Robert Clive, the Battle of Plassey, and the spoils of empire now housed in Powis Castle, Wales. It also references Tipu Sultan, the Tiger of Mysore and his symbolic resistance to British rule.

Commissioned for Tigers & Dragons: India and Wales in Britain, curated by Katy Freer and Zehra Jumabhoy at the Glynn Vivian Museum (23 May-2 November 2025), the tapestry conceptually unites India’s tiger with Wales’ dragon, confronting histories of imperialism and