Exhibition of paintings, sculptures opens

Islamabad

An exhibition of paintings, prints and sculptures opened at Nomad here on Saturday. Titled 'Collective Thoughts,' the exhibition features the work of Asad-ur-Rehman, Fizza Siddiqui, M A Bukhari, Maham Khan, Nadeem Ahmed, Saadia Hussain, Samina Ali Akhter, Shafique Farooqui, Tayyaba Aziz, and Ubaid Syed.

Asad-ur-Rehman claims knowing exactly where the splash of paint will fall. "And as regards the element of chance or accident, I believe that too can be controlled. Accident then becomes an integral part of the painting. The mystery of art is something you can't really pinpoint," he expresses through a statement. Nomad has a permanent display of Asad-ur-Rehman's paintings and sculptures. He has lived and exhibited extensively in France, Pakistan and other countries. His art resides in the collection of numerous art connoisseurs.

Fizza Siddiqui's art features consistently appearing codes that are the soul of the visuals that represent her life. “My work is a dialogue between emotions and experiences, like a page of dairy. Words behind the codes are a formation describing how I feel,” she mentions while explaining the idea governing her recent body of work.

In order to give a visual impact of Arabic calligraphy in 'Ism-E-Azam' compositions, Mohammad Ali Bukhari has designed a scalpel-like pen so that he can engrave letters into layers of oil colour. This technique has paid off well; each work acquires sharply delineated aesthetic decorative depth, making his 'Ism-E-Azam' more enjoyable for those who relish grace and beauty of Arabic script.

Maham Khan's work focuses on the unpredictability of life. “No matter how protective we try to be to save ourselves from the crucial reality of life, we still have to face excruciating experiences. All we are left with are our memories that help us to look at our life from a new perspective, to expect the worst, and to be prepared to face the eventual reality of life,” she states.

Nadeem Ahmed's paintings speak of inner feelings of people who are suffering because of political, economic and social issues around them. He focuses on Sufi traditions. The truck art series amidst his work started in 2012 with the inspiration he got after travelling through G T Road and Indus Highway to various parts of Pakistan. Art on wheels is a unique flavour which travels with the fascination, spirituality and the inimitable culture of Pakistan. His work is regularly being exhibited at Nomad since 2004.

Saadia Hussain's art practice revolves around the collection of her ancestral photographs combined with watercolour techniques. "I have also incorporated different fairy tales which I used to hear during my childhood. I have applied the theme of these fairy tales on the surface of photographs to translate different images into another story," she maintains.

Samina Ali Akhter has always been interested in the harmony between space and form, with collages and calligraphy woven together. “Being closely associated with Islamic history, it's hard to imagine myself not using the long lost stories enclosed in books or museums. To remain in touch with the past is to keep history alive. Lost images in time resonate through a flow of vibrant colours and textures. The hardest task is in inventing a pictorial language that would convey a personal way of seeing things, while at the same time discovering what the personal vision is. In all this, a clear debt to modern art, as is my wish to stress rather than disguise the objective quality, the aesthetic autonomy of the work. Initially at least, the response must be to what it is, not to what it is about,” Samina mentions.