Depicting a world which you can see -- freely

Karachi
Veteran poet and critic Ahmad Javaid once said, “If eyes learn to see reality, they can consequently illuminate the mind and the heart.” (Aankh dekhna seekh jae to zehn bhi roshan ho jae ga aur dil bhi)
An exhibition of two artists’ works, which opened at the Koel Gallery on Tuesday, reinforced the idea of ‘freedom of vision’.
Reflecting the theme for the exhibition ‘As I see’, the paintings were open to several interpretations since one could see a world of imaginations on canvas; offering multiple ways of glimpsing into it.
Artist Akram Spaul presented his work using the medium of oil on canvas.
Depicting scenes from the outer side of a haveli, a window is shown with an opening.
The paintings, in a way, were the visual illustration of Nasir Kazmi’s couplet:
So gae log is haveli kay;
Aik khirki magar khuli hay abhi.
(People residing in the haveli might have slept;
Yet a window is open there)
Spaul artistically left the scenes with an ambiguous outlook so that they could be seen as one would like to see them.
One could interpret the window openings as a sign of hope; a hope to find someone missing, as if he or she would appear at once with a smiling face.
It could also be seen as an absolute opening for changing the fate of a nation; no matter how dark the scene is, the opening always ensures its existence for the true searcher.
The second artist, Ali Abrar, also came up with interesting ideas. His most captivating painting was the depiction of Noah's Ark.
He imagines how full the ark would have been when a number of animals had been accommodated on the boat.
“I have drawn this painting as a source of storytelling to our children,” he said. “It is heart-warming for me as children are wondering after listening to the ancient story and they are asking innocent questions.”
Senior artist Nizam Dahiri opined that young artists were fast losing the art of sketching, which was a threatening situation.
“Look, how well Abrar has sketched in the paintings,” he said. “Gone are the days when kids used to focus on improving their handwriting and learning the art of sketching. The modern gadgets are running so many of their skills.”
The exhibition will run till November 4.