Discovering the hidden obvious

Titled ‘Being Unbeing’, a group show comprising works of four budding artists opened at the ArtScene Galleries this past week. All recent graduates of Lahore’s National College of Arts, the artists include Eeman Khan, Khadijah Rehman, Sana Saeed and Kiran Waseem.

“Through my paintings, I aim to portray the struggle that a girl faces on a daily basis. Struggles that we want to hide from the world for whatever reasons and demons that we keep safely tucked away,” said Eeman, who had displayed three paintings at the show.   One of her oil on canvas showcased at the exhibition was a portrait of a girl wearing ugly spectacles with no make up or jewels on and hair tide up.

Commenting on the art piece she stated, “In a society where women are seen as objects, ornaments on display, trimmed to perfection; I paint my women stripped down, bare, ghostly, confronting, fragile and yet bearing a sense of confidence.”

Artist Kiran Waseem while sharing details of the concept behind her work said, “My work is based on the idea of travelling where memory and imagination meet and separate.”

Her work comprised five paintings displaying different roads, bridges and views of the Lahore city from balconies. Speaking to The News about her inspiration she said, “I am passionate about my city and the life connection I have with it which passes by in fleeting moments of time.” 

Of the six artworks displayed by Sana Saeed, all were about an old lady. One of them showed the lady wearing a white traditional dupatta, while another one showed her sleeping with a pillow and white sheet painted on separate canvases.

Talking about her work she said, “Whenever we leave, we always leave behind a mark. It could be a physical mark on any surface or a non-tangible mark floating in the memory.

For me ‘to live is to leave traces’ and my artistic practice revolves around these traces. Marks on walls, doors, stains on clothes, dust particles on different objects, all of these surfaces are all about time.”

“An old piece of paper which was kept inside a book for ages or an old cloth lying around somewhere has countless stories to tell. You can get a glimpse of the person who owns the items. Someone who was once there to leave a trace behind,” Sana stated.

The fourth artist of the show, Khadija Rehman, in her six paintings portrayed her love for nature and literature; her work captured the interest of a number of people present at the gallery.

Making use of water colours on paper, one of her works displayed a man lying on grass as flowers concealed his face. “As an artist, my fascination is with mortality and its tenuous connection with nature. Everything that lives has to die in some manner and be reborn in another. Such is also the state of a human being,” she said.

Amjad Saeed, owner of the gallery, while speaking to The News said, “The purpose of setting up this space is to provide a platform to young art students. We encourage them to display their projects and thesis work here to help bring their talent to the fore.”

The show will run till September 28.