
Salman Toor
In Salman Toor’s Ambush II, set in his native Pakistan, we see two individuals inside a white car, visibly concerned, as four police officers surround their vehicle. Two of the officers are searching the trunk of their vehicle; one shines a light directly at the passenger's face while the other stares judgmentally at the two men. Toor’s signature olive green coats the canvas and highlights the sense of dread embodied in the scene. As a queer, Pakistani-immigrant, Toor has often faced discrimination particularly at the hands of law enforcement in his home country where LGBTQ+ citizens are offered no legal protections for discrimination and anti-sodomy laws are still in place. In this work, Toor provides us with a bird’s eye view of one such moment depicting the harsh realities of existing at such intersections of marginalized identities.