Ibtsam Tahir is a Lahore based contemporary artist, born in Nankana Sahib in 2002, who paints with scripts of Urdu and Persian language. He imagines the visual impact of text in his artworks by aligning different scripts to create a figurative impression of a story. He started of as a traditional calligraphy artist but then his practice evolved into a more profound contemporary expression of different narratives. He experiments with themes of identity, human expression and Persian mythologies.

This series of Urdu-Persian typographies forms the shape of a horse, deliberately rendered tailless, evoking a poignant narrative of history and symbolism. The absent tail speaks volumes about ancient traditions where a horse’s tail was cut post-mortem as a mark of respect, signifying the end of its noble service. The typographic horse, majestic yet incomplete, seems to convey the dignity and sacrifice of these revered creatures. As Urdu and Persian scripts weave together to form its body, the artwork bridges language, culture, and history, inviting viewers to reflect on themes of honor, loss, and legacy.