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Hesperios

No. 3
Chapter 5.

The Desperate Things
You Make Me Do

STORY BY WARIS AHLUWALIA
ILLUSTRATIONS BY GUSTAF VON ARBIN.
RESEARCH BY AYESHA SHAND

Travel & History

Working across the globe and across disciplines, Waris Ahluwalia exhibits an unwavering commitment to creating a more thoughtful way of living.

In his poetic stories, Gustaf von Arbin strives to capture the magic of everyday life. His multidisciplinary works are often shown in dream- like installations and film. He has exhibited in Stockholm, Berlin, Los Angeles, and New York.

What follows is a collaboration.

A man in a sleek black suit with a white shirt, featuring a fitted style and polished finish, stands in a library setting.
A handwritten note about research accompanied by illustrations of scientific equipment, a tea cup, and dried flowers, all in a vintage style with delicate colors.
A man in a black suit and white shirt is reading in a library with a large window view of a city skyline.
A handwritten note with illustrations of a Venetian mask, compass, feather, St. Mark's lion, and other items, evoking 18th-century Venice.
A person in a dark turban and tailored suit exchanges goods at a bustling market stall adorned with colorful produce under a draped canopy.
A handwritten and illustrated page featuring 19th-century Istanbul themes, including florals, figs, and architectural motifs with soft, watercolor-like colors.
A seated man in a vintage illustration wears a black turban and a black suit with a white shirt, set against a backdrop of historical Middle Eastern architecture, featuring detailed linework and sepia tones.
A beautifully illustrated collage featuring handwritten poetry by Khushal Khan Khattak, botanical drawings of saffron, cardamom, grapes, licorice, an Afghan spice box, and a sitar, evoking 16th-century Kabul.
A man in a fitted dark suit with a turban stands confidently on rocks, holding a wooden cane, against a backdrop of a grand stepped building and a riverside scene.
A hand-drawn collage featuring illustrations of Babylonian symbols, plants, and a poem, with detailed sketches of a winged lion, date palms, and cuneiform script.
A vintage-styled illustrated collage featuring elements such as a peacock feather, gems, tulsi plant, Mughal teapot, coins, and calligraphy, evoking the historical essence of 1650 Delhi.
A solitary rider in formal black attire sits on a white horse, set against a vast landscape of muted green mountains and a sandy plain.
A collection of hand-drawn illustrations featuring Tibetan symbols, such as a lotus flower, vajra, phurba, wicker bottle, and a flying bird, with accompanying text referencing enlightenment and purity.
A person wearing a brown suit and turban is crouching in a field of green grass and white flowers under a clear sky.
A handwritten poem excerpt with an illustration of a pink hibiscus flower and leaves on a textured, off-white background.