Ibrahim Shuaib and Nasim Pirhadi at the Alternator

Ibrahim Shuaib. Image courtesy of the artist.

The Alternator Centre for Contemporary Art is pleased to present it’s final exhibitions of 2025: ​​All That Time Has Woven, All It Has Unraveled, by Ibrahim Shuaib, and What Seems Simple by Nasim Pirhadi, on view from November 7 – December 19, 2025.

Opening in the Alternator Main Gallery is All That Time Has Woven, All It Has Unraveled, by Ibrahim Shuaib. This exhibition presents an ongoing series rooted in self-discovery, where culture, spirituality, and the passage of time intersect. It’s a narrative that reflects the dual nature of Shuaib’s journey, capturing the innocence of youth and the complexity of adulthood. Central to this series is his use of traditional rugs as a canvas, a deliberate choice rooted in the rich symbolism these objects hold within his Islamic heritage. These are silent companions to our daily rituals, ever-present witnesses to moments of prayer, family gatherings, and quiet reflection.

The rug represents an untold story, each pattern a chapter in his book of life, each memory a splatter, where moments of joy, sorrow, triumph, and tribulation are interwoven. Each artistic stroke represents a distinct era, manifesting memories and subtle impressions that weave into a textured and evolving tapestry, honouring both Shuaib’s personal and collective heritage.

Nasim Pirhadi, What Seems Simple, 2025, Video Sill. Image courtesy of the artist

Capping off a year of exhibitions in the Alternator Project Gallery is Nasim Pirhadi’s What Seems Simple.

In this work, Pirhadi stages ordinary gestures such as reading, brushing hair, tying a shoelace, or biting an apple – within the suspension of an underwater world. What is effortless elsewhere becomes heavy here, yet the body persists until difficulty itself feels routine.

This video work proposes a meditation on relativity. A single act can be seamless in one world and heavy in another. This is not about the futility of an action but about the familiarity of endurance. It is about how hardship, when experienced daily, becomes normalised. What should have been easy, is instead performed under pressure, and how life continues on.

Both ​​All That Time Has Woven, All It Has Unraveled, and What Seems Simple will be on at the Alternator Centre for Contemporary Art from November 7 – December 19, 2025.

About the Artists

Ibrahim Shuaib is a multidisciplinary visual artist born in Nigeria, currently based on Treaty 1 Territory, in Winnipeg. His work draws inspiration from the interplay of chaos and tranquility, using art to explore existential questions and interpret life’s complex journeys.

Through painting, installation, and multimedia forms, he investigates themes of identity, spirituality, cultural heritage, and the nuanced experience of double consciousness. His process is intuitive and experimental, consistently pushing the boundaries of his chosen materials.

By engaging these topics, Ibrahim creates spaces for reflection while employing strategies of direction and misdirection, inviting viewers to navigate layers of meaning and connect deeply with the work. Rather than offering answers, his practice opens a path of constructive questioning, providing a contemplative solace for the viewer.

Nasim Pirhadi is a multidisciplinary artist living and working on the unceded, traditional territory of the syilx (Okanagan) Nation in Kelowna, BC.

Her work incorporates video, sound, olfactory elements, performance, and sculpture to create multisensory experiences where each component is interconnected. She investigates questions of female identity, subjectivity, and feminist perspectives within historical and contemporary frameworks.

She has exhibited her work internationally in solo and group exhibitions, been recognized with awards, including the Selected Award at the Third Contemporary Drawing Festival in Iran (2011) and being named one of eight finalists for the Behnam Bakhtiar Award in Monaco (2017). In 2022, she received the Audain Travel Award to support a research trip to New York.

About the Alternator Centre for Contemporary Art

The Alternator Centre for Contemporary Art is a non-profit artist-run centre founded in 1989. We leverage knowledge, expertise, empathy and resources to support creative projects that nurture our community.

The Alternator Centre for Contemporary Art respectfully acknowledges its presence on the unceded territory of the syilx (Okanagan) people.

Alternator Centre for Contemporary Art
421 Cawston Avenue, Unit 103
Kelowna, BC V1Y 6Z1
www.alternatorcentre.com
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Accessibility: The Alternator Centre for Contemporary Art is situated within the Rotary Centre for the Arts, which is fully accessible.