Showing the ‘softer side of our society’

Have you ever felt while walking into an art gallery like you are getting closer to nature, or, for that matter, discovering a new version of reality? Artworks, produced with weeks or even months of labour, can evoke such feelings by dint of their being a powerful medium to depict the world around us.

The paintings displayed earlier this week at an exhibition “Fusion of Colours” at the Art Scene Gallery in Clifton aimed to create such an impression in viewers.

Sharing his thoughts, Ajab Khan, one of the two artists whose paintings were exhibited at the show, said, “First of all, the art of painting is a God-gifted talent and then it’s upon the painter what message he wants to convey through it.

“As we do landscape paintings, we observe and absorb nature within us, and with our work, we fill up our canvases and present the greenery within Pakistan.”

“Our main message,” Khan said, “that we want to deliver through our painting is to show a softer side of our society. There are a lot of things to inspire us; sometimes, you are just inspired by a person’s face, but the main inspiration for a human being is nature.”

He maintained: “There are a lot of issues we as a society are facing, psychologically and physically. So how we fuse nature into our daily issues is the main message of our show.”

A statement put next to a painting by another artist, Shahid Ali, said: “I am a simple man and it has never been easy for me to talk about myself or my work. What I have painted is something I have been through. In that sense, I am both the subject and the object. Over the years, I have observed the Sindhi and Punjabi cultures, which have ever excited me to paint.”

What visitors found interesting was how both artists had used colours and shades to make their paintings appealing. Komal Shahzadi, a visitor, said: “I am a nature lover and Ajab Khan has inspired me with his thoughts and skills.”

“Amazing paintings! You can feel the true sense of landscape through these paintings,” said another visitor, Rafia. “It is really a great effort shown by both of the artists, especially Shahid Ali. I really liked his work. God bless both of them and give them success,” said Usman Ahmed, a fine art enthusiast. This report was contributed by Mahrukh Rizvi, Rahema Nadeem and Kashif Shayari.