Your Way Begins on the Other Side takes its title from a poem by the Sufi poet Rumi. Created specifically for the exhibition, this work is displayed in the atrium of the museum’s courtyard, leading from the entrance. It depicts a classic Persian garden, or chahar bagh, a term derived from the Persian words chār (four) and bāgh (garden). Khalid’s Chahar Bagh features the iconic water channels that traditionally converge at the center, surrounded by four walled gardens. Elements such as cypress trees, symbolizing death, animals in combat representing struggles between the strong and weak, and fruit-bearing trees symbolizing new life, shimmer majestically as the pins used to create the work catch the light. On the reverse side, over a million gold-plated and steel pins protrude menacingly, creating a stark yet poetic contrast. This duality highlights the interplay of pleasure and pain, inviting contemplation of contemporary society and the path of life echoed in the title.

The exhibition also presents an installation of over sixty paintings by Khalid for the first time, showcasing her long-standing preoccupation with the garden motif. Her work depicts fruits, flowers, camouflage, and geometric patterns found in nature. As early as 1999, floral motifs, starting with the lotus, played a central role in her paintings, such as in Pattern to Follow (1999) and Conversation (1999). By 2001, the lotus was replaced by the tulip, a flower celebrated during the Ottoman Empire and known as lale in Turkish and Persian. The tulip was featured in elaborate flower festivals and symbolized martyrdom and mystical, self-denying love in poetry. Later in her career, Khalid incorporated the image of the rose into her paintings and installations. In Islamic tradition, the rose was believed to have originated from the Prophet’s sweat during his night journey to Paradise. Its thorns symbolize a Muslim’s quest for God, and its scent anticipates the fragrances of Paradise.