Four-person group show explores spirituality and society

Karachi

Vivid in their descriptions of beauty, each piece displaying a different perception of Asian society, complemented by an articulate arrangement of frames was a collection of artworks exhibited at the Full Circle Gallery this past week.

The exhibition showcases works of four renowned artists Javed Qamar, Khusro Subzwari, Mehtab Ali and SM Naqvi.

The idea behind the exhibition was to put on display different forms of art parallel to each other in order to give a wholesome exposure of the society to the visitors, stated curator and manager of the gallery, Kashif Humayun.

Humayun’s vision it seemed worked out well, for a visitor while observing the artworks remarked that the pieces were impactful reflections of the various perceptions prevalent in Asian societies.

Using tints and tones of blue, with prominent shades of white was a calligraphic piece, by Javed Qamar, displaying one of the 99 names of God in an old Egyptian style, which stood out among the rest of the artworks on display. 

The artist had used striking colours and shapes, while a round frame was used to depict the various spheres of human life.

Explaining his paintings, Qamar said, “In my work, every colour has a meaning. And the calligraphy, although a distortion of alphabets, is done in such a way that it is easily understood by an observer while the essence of the art remains intact.”

The work of SM Naqvi on the other hand was abstract, the artist depicted emotions of happiness and optimism through vibrant colours. Disregarding all rules and scales of paintings, Naqvi’s artworks were free style in every sense of the word.

Uninhibited strokes were a clear explanation of unbounded nature of human beings; however, centrality of frame was well maintained.

“Freedom is one basic necessity an individual should be provided with, my work depicts the ability to achieve it,” he said while describing his paintings.

Mehtab Ali who is known for painting women gives another meaning to colours by the use of ‘colour line’.

Ali’s painting titled 'Humjoliyan' (five friends) was an illustration of five women dressed in a Sari, posing in different styles against a wall.

The emphasis over tiny details of sub-continental jewellery added to the paintings attraction.

‘Rule of third’ was one of the prominent techniques he used in his work. “The style Ali has chosen to portray the romantic side of Asian women is outstanding, this form of art is hardly seen these days,” said Ali Yusufzai, an attendee at the gallery.

It is indeed a matter of consideration that women had always been portrayed as a symbol of beauty and attraction by poets and painters and Ali upheld the norm.

“I have tried to paint the various romantic moods of a traditional woman with the help of colours and scaling of the frame,” the painter said while elucidating on his artwork.

Khusro Subzwari’s art pieces depicted Khusro’s whirling dervish, of which one piece was a marvellous combination of the pink colour along with its tints.

A whirling dervish was made with fine strokes of brush with contrasting colour. “Such depiction of spiritual half of a man is rare to see these days,” opined Shayan Warsi, a visitor.

Amin Qasmani, one of the prominent figures of art industry in Pakistan, said the painters of this era were not interested in spiritual subjects but Subzwari managed to revive it with a new touch.

The exhibition opened on Friday, May 27.