Recent Work
Lunar Totality
A total lunar eclipse was visible in Toronto on March 14, 2025. I knew I wanted to photograph this celestial event and get an image of the Blood Moon, and as I thought about locations to shoot from I realized it would be really special to have the Ismaili Centre in frame with the moon.
Taken at 3am at the Ismaili Centre, Toronto, just as the lights came on for morning prayers. Available as a vibrant & glossy 20”x30” framed print.
Five phases of the total lunar eclipse between 1:30am and 3:30am, March 14, 2025.
Valley of the Quest
A flock of birds sets off from their gathering place on the dome of the Aga Khan Museum in Toronto.
I had watched them for several minutes as they flew from one spot to another in the Aga Khan Park, eventually landing on the hexagonal dome of the Museum. I’ve never seen birds gather in this spot before, or since.
This special scene made me think immediately of the Conference of the Birds, the famous tale written in the 12th century by Persian poet Farid ud-Din Attar. In it, birds of all shapes and sizes - a duck, a nightingale, a peacock, and others - set off in search for their King, led by their guide the Hoopoe bird.
So it’s fitting then that the dome these birds are gathered on, hexagonal in shape, has always looked to me like a crown. The perfect place for these birds’ conference, before setting off on their quest.
Karim Wadhwani, 2023
24”x36” framed print
A flock of birds sets off from their gathering place on the dome of the Aga Khan Museum in Toronto.
Valley of the Quest
I had watched a flock of birds for several minutes as they flew from one spot to another in the Aga Khan Park, eventually landing on the hexagonal dome of the Aga Khan Museum. I’ve never seen birds gather in this spot before, or since.
This special scene made me think immediately of the Conference of the Birds, the famous tale written in the 12th century by Persian poet Farid ud-Din Attar. In it, birds of all shapes and sizes - a duck, a nightingale, a peacock, and others - set off in search for their King, led by their guide the Hoopoe bird.
So it’s fitting then that the dome these birds are gathered on, hexagonal in shape, has always looked to me like a crown. The perfect place for these birds’ conference, before setting off on their quest.
Karim Wadhwani, 2023
24”x36” framed print
The Blood Moon sits above the Ismaili Centre Toronto’s softly-glowing dome during a total lunar eclipse.
Lunar Totality
A total lunar eclipse was visible in Toronto on March 14, 2025. I knew I wanted to photograph this celestial event and get an image of the Blood Moon, and as I thought about locations to shoot from I realized it would be really special to have the Ismaili Centre in frame with the moon.
Taken at 3am at the Ismaili Centre, Toronto, just as the lights came on for morning prayers. Available as a vibrant & glossy 20”x30” framed print.
Karim Wadhwani, 2024
Sunset at the Faisal Mosque, Islamabad, Pakistan
Baba
On Christmas Day in 2024, I was in Islamabad visiting a few of the popular sites, including here at the Faisal Mosque. Being in Pakistan, reconnecting with family, walking through a spiritual space like this - it was a lot for me to take in. I wondered how best to translate these emotions into a photograph; how to make the invisible visible.
Then, among the hundreds of people enjoying the beautiful day - parents with their young children, couples, friends having an outing - I noticed two men sitting on a ledge. There was a sense of peace about them I felt. Cloaked in a chaddar and wearing traditional head coverings, they represented a moment of calm amidst the hustle & bustle of Pakistan.
The sun was setting and my cousins were waiting for me so we could head out. I had to act fast. I felt there was a divisive moment here - an opportunity to find that image I was searching for.
And then it occurred to me: can I find a way to bring together the contemplative man and the setting sun? The sun being rich with symbolism about life, wisdom, spirituality, and nur, concepts that are difficult to articulate in words.
And so I found this image, clicked, and sped off towards my family. Now I look back and meditate on this moment, when light gave me words I could not find on my own.
Karim Wadhwani, 2024