MFA Thesis Exhibition at Gales Gallery, York University

Asma Sultana, MFA Studio at York University, 2026. Photo: Elsa Hashemi

Asma Sultana: Seasonless
MFA Thesis Exhibition

March 30 – April 3, 2026
Opening Reception: Wednesday, April 1, 2026, 3 – 6pm
Gales Gallery, York University, Toronto

Seasonless employs slow, affective immersion to elucidate the intertwined destinies of bodies and ecosystems, encouraging contemplation, dialogue, and ethical awareness. It addresses the profound physical, psychological, and cultural ramifications of climate change, centring on Bangladesh, where Asma Sultana was born—one of the world’s most climate-vulnerable nations—while also resonating with her adopted homes in England and Canada. By integrating autobiographical narrative, sustainable material practice, and diasporic perspective, the project foregrounds the intricate interrelations between personal and ecological histories. Drawing upon her experiences of disrupted seasonal cycles, the work laments the erosion of both ecological integrity and cultural heritage in the Anthropocene.

Asma Sultana, Burned by Fire and Pain, 2026, Artist’s Hair, Textile & Mixed Media. Photo: Courtesy of the Artist

Grounded in the traditional Bengali Nakshi Kantha [artistic quilt] technique, Sultana sews with her hair to create organic, fractal forms inspired by human anatomy. The act of stitching serves as a metaphor for both healing and the regenerative processes found in nature, countering the collective denial and imaginative failures that pervade contemporary responses to the climate crisis. Ultimately, the work advocates for reciprocity and mindful attention to the living world, calling for a paradigmatic shift from modes of exploitation to an ethic of biocentric care.

Asma Sultana, Silent Spring, 2026, Artist’s Hair, Textile & Mixed Media. Photo: Courtesy of the Artist

Based in Toronto, Asma Sultana is a South Asian interdisciplinary diasporic artist whose work explores the physical and cultural ramifications of climate change. By integrating traditional Bengali Nakshi Kantha techniques with organic materials, such as her own hair, she sutures the personal to the ecological. Sultana’s practice is informed by her transit between Bangladesh, England, and Canada, and her research-based work has been showcased in numerous solo and group exhibitions globally. She conceptualises her autobiographical work through distinctive forms of expression, employing her hair and thumbprints as media to investigate her identity within the frameworks of time and space.

Asma Sultana, Go Where You Will, 2024, Photograph. Photo: Courtesy of the Artist

Sultana has organised and curated numerous solo art exhibitions and has participated in various group exhibitions across several countries. Her work has received attention in both print and digital media and is part of numerous private collections. As a Bangladeshi-British artist, Sultana currently practices as a South Asian diasporic artist in Toronto. She has undergone training in Fine Arts and Art History in Bangladesh, England, and Canada. Furthermore, she pursued a degree in Art History at York University in Canada and at Oxford University in England. Currently, she is a Master of Fine Arts candidate at York University, where her research is supported by the SSHRC (Canada Graduate Scholarship).

www.asmasultana.com
meetasultana3@gmail.com
Instagram @meetasultana

Gales Gallery, York University
105 Accolade West, Toronto
Gallery Hours: 10am – 4pm
maps.info.yorku.ca/2010/06/gales-gallery