NAQSH

The Story

A naqsh is an impression — a mark left behind by a moment, a memory, a culture, or a feeling.

Naqsh is built around the idea that every impression carries something with it. A trace of where we come from. A line from a poem. A familiar motif. A piece of fabric. A fragment of memory.

The article draws from Faiz Ahmed Faiz’s Mujh Se Pehli Si Mohabbat — a poem that moves beyond personal love towards a deeper awareness of the world around us. Its words become part of the fabric itself, turning poetry into an underlying impression rather than simply placing it on top of the garment.

Layered with block-printed motifs and individually applied patches, the article brings together different naqsh — some printed, some stitched, some written — until they become one composition.

It is this layering of impressions that connects the article back to NAQSH NAMA: a collection where different traces, memories, traditions, and expressions come together to form one chapter.

Every mark leaves a trace.
Every trace becomes a story.
And every story leaves its naqsh.

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The Front

The front begins with the fabric itself.

The entire garment is first block printed with the complete text of Faiz Ahmed Faiz’s Mujh Se Pehli Si Mohabbat, creating a subtle tonal foundation across the fabric.

Rather than functioning as a conventional graphic, the poem becomes a textural layer beneath the garment’s other elements — something to discover through closer observation.

Block-printed motifs are then placed across the front and along the hem, creating a second layer of visual language.

Selected motifs are also applied through cut-and-applied patchwork, with the patches themselves carrying additional block-printed details. The contrast between printed fabric and applied pieces gives the garment a collected, almost archival quality.

The MALANG name is integrated into the artwork through the Urdu characters میم، لام، نون، گاف, rendered through block printing and becoming another naqsh within the composition.

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The Back

The back continues the layered language of the front.

Small patches are applied across the garment, each carrying its own block-printed motif. Multiple tones and colours give the patches subtle variation, allowing each individual piece to retain its own character while becoming part of the larger composition.

The result is intentionally not perfectly uniform.

Each patch feels like a fragment — a small impression collected from somewhere and brought into the same visual story.

Together with the tonal poem beneath it, the block-printed motifs and patchwork create a surface that reveals itself gradually.

Nothing is simply placed.
Everything leaves a mark.

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The Artwork

Naqsh is constructed through layers.

The first layer is the poem — block printed across the fabric as a subtle tonal texture.

The second is the vocabulary of traditional-inspired block-printed motifs.

The third is patchwork: individual pieces of fabric applied onto the garment, carrying their own printed marks.

And finally, the MALANG lettering becomes part of this visual language.

Each layer exists independently, yet together they create one continuous expression — a garment made from impressions.

Care Instructions

• Hand wash recommended.
• Wash separately or with similar colours.
• Avoid machine washing to preserve the block prints and patchwork.
• Turn the garment inside out before washing.
• Avoid harsh detergents and excessive rubbing over printed or patched areas.
• Do not expose directly to harsh sunlight for extended periods.
• Dry in shade.
• Handle patchwork areas gently to maintain their shape and finish.

Craft & Finish

Naqsh combines hand block printing and cut-and-applied patchwork, with the artwork built through multiple layers rather than a single graphic application.

The tonal poem, individually printed motifs, and applied patches are designed to create depth and variation across the garment.

As each element is manually printed and applied, slight variations in print density, placement, colour, texture, and finish are natural. These variations are an inherent part of the handmade character of the article.