Reception | "Miles to Go Before We Sleep" solo exhibition by artist Humaira Abid.
"Miles to Go Before We Sleep"
HUMAIRA ABID
SEPTEMBER 8 - OCTOBER 24, 2026
RECEPTION: Thursday, September 10 | 6 – 8 PM.
PENTIMENTI is pleased to present "Miles to Go Before We Sleep," a solo exhibition of new wood sculptures and paintings by artist Humaira Abid.
Adapted from Robert Frost's line "And miles to go before I sleep," the title shifts "I" to “we”, turning a personal journey into a collective one. Amid war, displacement, inequality, and ongoing struggles for human rights, the work of repair remains unfinished.
At the core of Abid’s practice are women and the tension between the visible and invisible expectations placed upon them: to nurture, prevail, evolve, and heal, all while navigating restrictions imposed by society or religion. Parenting is another recurring theme, reflecting the challenges of raising and protecting children in a rapidly changing world. Migration is also central to the work. It can be an act of hope and love in search of safety and a better future, but it can also bring separation, uncertainty, danger, and loss.
Throughout the exhibition, familiar objects, clocks, signs, thread, toys, and shoes become metaphors for time and lived experience. Personal acts of knitting, reading, mending, parenting, and protesting intersect with broader realities of migration, displacement, and the search for belonging. Miles to Go Before We Sleep reflects on perseverance, our responsibility to one another, and the work that remains unfinished. There are still miles to go before we sleep.
Humaira Abid received her BFA in Sculpture and Miniature Painting from the National College of Arts in Lahore in 2000. Her work has been exhibited internationally at museums and institutions including the Museum for Art in Wood, Philadelphia, PA; Bellevue Arts Museum, Bellevue, WA; Seattle Asian Art Museum, Seattle, WA; Tacoma Art Museum, Tacoma, WA; Lahore Biennale 02; and Islamabad Art Fair, Pakistan, among others. She has received numerous awards, including the Bob Stocksdale International Excellence in Wood Award and the Arts Innovator Award from Artist Trust. Abid has also participated in international residencies, symposia, and lectures. Two documentary films about her work, produced by KCTS 9/PBS and Seattle Channel, were nominated for Northwest Emmy Awards.
ADDITIONAL EVENTS
In Partnership with COLLECTIVE FUTURES | Walkthrough with the Curator
Friday, October 2 | 6:30 PM
First Friday | Gallery Walk in Philadelphia
Friday, October 2 | 7 – 8 PM
For all inquiries, please contact us at [email protected] or +1 (215) 625-9990.
