Art exhibition

Islamabad

Currently ongoing at Gallery6 is a wonderful exhibition of paintings titled ‘Buoyant Assemblage.’ The show, which will continue till December 24, features the works of seven leading artists namely, Abrar Ahmed, Athar Jamal, AS Rind, Ghulam Mustafa, Masood A. Khan, Shammi Ahmad and Wahab Jaffar. True to its title, the exhibition exudes cheerfulness, as on entering the hall, one gets drowned in the unveiled beauty and veiled energy of colours unleashed by the artists.

Abrar Ahmed has presented five paintings, three in different and two in his usual style of painting women with elements of romance and beauty. The images have faces of women that are highly stylized with elongated necks, expressive eyes and eloquent hands. Birds, moon, musical instruments, and jewellery are additional adorning features. Use of vibrant colours in eloquent composition adds to the aesthetics of his paintings.

Athar Jamal is an artist in the classic tradition. He is an exponent of spontaneous, on-spot painting and for years has made a practice of moving around the country, sketching and painting people, landscapes, and scenes from life. He is renowned for the Thar series, in which he has documented the costumes, homes and customs of the Thar region that maintains the traditions of an ancient culture. His figure studies are dramatic renderings of shades and three paintings of Thari women are fascinating in this show.

A S Rind is also well-known for his distinctive figurative work reflecting the faces and moods of women, adorned elegantly with ethnic jewellery. His work carries a strong cultural influence of Rahim Yar Khan, his homeland. In this exhibition, he has presented his iconic work with a different thick texture and also non-decorative figurative abstraction, which is full of energy created by vibrant colours and bold strokes. This new vocabulary of expression is impressive.

Ghulam Mustafa belongs to the group of ‘plein-air’ painters and can paint anywhere without being disturbed by the hustle bustle of the surroundings. He masters in capturing with immense details, the magnificence of the sunlight, and the shadows and shades created by it. His four paintings in the exhibition show that his eyes brilliantly seize the kaleidoscopic effects created by the sunlight, whether he is walking in the interior of the walled city of Lahore, passing in lanes, admiring the blossoming trees, or enjoying clear skies.