Interesting interplay of lines, patterns and shapes

Islamabad: A solo exhibition of signature paintings that stand out for their unique glistening colours to create an ambience of radiance and warmth opens at Gallery 6 here today (Friday). The artist is none other than Abid Hasan, whose first solo show in Islamabad dates back to January 2009. Atif Rais Khan, leading art patron who is well known in the art circles for his extensive collection, will inaugurate the show.

Abid has mastered the skill of creating shimmering and ecstatic abstract paintings through the application of chemicals and paints on layers of original silver leaf applied on canvas. The reaction of oxidizing agents on silver creates tantalizing textures, on which he overlays paints in a way to produce aesthetically brilliant compositions. He has achieved this merit through laborious experimentation of the technique over a period of 17 years; each composition is evidently not a work of trial and error but outcome of a well-planned sketch.

Commenting on his new series of work, Usama Arjumand, Director of Gallery 6 stated, “Abid’s captivating abstract compositions, combined with the radiant quality of his medium, add a different dimension that can only be found in his work. This new series is perhaps the artist’s finest work yet. I would encourage all art enthusiasts to view it in person.” Indeed, one can visibly notice the growing maturity in his compositions with each show.

Commenting on his work, Abid stated, “When threads intertwine, a piece of cloth is formed but when they’re laid out parallel to each other, an absolutely new picture is formed which leaves uncountable possibilities of patterns and ideas. The picture formed might look imperfect, but it is a process that it portrays, a process that can lead to innumerable comprehensions; which is exactly what this series of works describes, a process of experimenting and discovering; a process that never stops.”

The artist’s statement refers to his new ways of laying lines, patterns and shapes in his compositions. This new “threading” is his current timeline. With unlimited permutations and combinations of these lines and shapes, each painting has its own appeal, drawing the viewer to its depth and sensations, whether it is 8x8 inches or 24x72 inches in size.

Describing his technique and work further, Abid stated, “The main elements of my paintings are sunlight, water, air, and metal, and all of these together can create what any one of them alone can’t. When a drop of water strikes the surface of a silver leaf and sunlight pierces through the drop, an image appears on the surface. And when multiple drops unite to form a line, the alignment and arrangement of the lines creates an aura, and it gives birth to an image; an image that isn’t a feminine figure, or a horse, or the dome of a mosque but it is the music of a sufi saint, unseen and unheard and tells a new story every time it is played. My works are a similar depiction of stories untold and concepts never thought of. When you look at the images, they seem incomplete, but in that incompleteness, they appear to be longing to unveil stories that had always been behind veils and overlooked.

Abid was born in Rawalpindi and studied at Gordon College. He then moved to Karachi and graduated in Fine Arts from the Karachi School of Arts in 1996. He is now an established interior designer, painter and was also a visiting faculty member at KSA from 2012 to 2016, where he taught drawing, in which he also excels.

The exhibition will continue till February 2 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., including Sundays. Those who are not in town or are abroad can view the show on the Gallery 6 website www.gallery6islamabad.com from January 26 onwards.