Nomad exhibition stands out for appealing colours, techniques

Islamabad :A brilliant exhibition of paintings by senior artists Masood A Khan and Samina Ali opened at Nomad.

Titled ‘Profound | Phenomena,’ both the artists have, while working with different historic and contemporary ideologies, used similar surface treatments and a narrative with a shared heritage and strong impact. “Sometimes surreal, the translucent forms are carefully layered and incorporate the use of immensely appealing colours and techniques. The compositions are powerful and truly a feast for the eyes and soul,” the gallery’s director Nageen Hyat stated.

Masood A Khan’s recent body of work is a continuation of his past 18th appearances at various art galleries in Pakistan and abroad. At each appearance, he adopted a new vocabulary to paint the essence of truth with lines and layers. As transparency is the quintessence of naked reality, it remains constant on his surfaces. With a blend of feelings, he expresses reality combined with modernism.

“In the remote recesses of his subconscious lies an effort to create a spiritual climate that touches the heart. He feels a new liberty when the beauty of every form is clear, visible and not overlapping, thereby creating a multidimensional view. He doesn’t need to distort the naturalistic forms as done in cubism or other isms of art. He has externalized his outrage at the hypocrisy-religious, social, economics-that cloaks and disguises our true intentions. In his works, a world emphasizing the simplicity and joy of spiritual content versus the present contemporary situation with all its perils, he has peeled off layer by layer, the fables that determine our lives,” the artist’s statement reads.

Masood was awarded first prize at the European Confederation of Art Critics—an international biennale held in Italy in 2011.

Samina’s compositions are also extremely powerful. The artist is endowed with an extraordinary aesthetic sense when it comes to combining colours. Her brilliant colours, strong lines, and astonishingly vital forms draw viewers to a rich world of splendour and fantasy. Even though the imagery and symbols applied by the artist have a historical context, the manner in which she constructs the compositions has a highly western sensibility.

Samina’s work constitutes part of private collections in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Egypt, France, India and Spain. At home too, her work is on permanent display at the State Bank of Pakistan, Lahore; Aiwan-e-Iqbal-Lahore, and several banks and industrial establishments. Samina conceptualized, supervised and executed the design for Serena-Islamabad, Governor House-Lahore, and numerous hotels and restaurants in Faisalabad. The exhibition will continue till October 20.