Onrushing-5 brings 44 artists to town

Islamabad : Offering a surprisingly refreshing variety of emerging art forms, 44 of the 82 paintings that contested the Arjumand Painting Awards 2021 recently held in Lahore, are now being exhibited in ‘Onrushing-5’ at Gallery 6, which opened on Friday.

Gallery6 has been organizing these biennial national art awards with regularity since 2015. The purpose is to recognize emerging Pakistani artists of 25 to 40 years of age. This is a first-ever national art award by any private gallery; it aptly fills the existing void for recognition of emerging outstanding painters.

Even though the exhibition does not include paintings that grabbed the first, second, and merit prizes, it still has a lot to offer. Ahsan Javaid’s ‘Summer Scape,’ which won the third prize, is noticeable for its creative composition and quality execution. Ahsan Memon’s ‘Insomnia’ is phenomenal, while Sana Iqbal’s ‘Mandir’ engages the viewer with details of its elements and their presentation.

Amra Khan’s and Aun Raza’s artworks discuss gender issues, while Nazarul Islam’s ‘Black in White’ highlights racial disparity. Still life by Fahima Bashir, Hafsah Sarfraz, and Nashrah Raza are enticing. Fawad Jafri’s abstract creates illusions while Rida Nadeem’s is soothing and serene.

The landscapes have a variety of presentations from realistic to surrealistic forms by Aqiq Ehsan, Faiza Taufiq, Mansab Dar and Wajid Daharkiwala; these take viewers into different zones. Miniature works by Ali Gillani, Rahman Zada and Rabia Saleem are distinct in terms of their presentation and reflect their potential of becoming established artists soon. Adnan Khan’s ‘Innocence’ in pointillistic style and ‘The Half-Hearted Smile’ by Zainab Aziz in black palette are alluring. Sana Dar’s ‘Method in the Madness’ is a delicate work while Asghar Ali’s portrait of an old Hazara community woman ‘Last Layer’ is very similar in execution to the portrait that won him a merit prize in 2019. Komal Jabeen, Mariam Arshad, Meerab Rehmat, Fakhra Asif and Naseeb Khan have made women their subject in a variety of absorbing ways.

Besides the above, the exhibition features paintings by Alefiya Abbas, Asiya Alisannia, Awais Naqvi, Feroza, Manisha Jiani, Mariam Shaikh, Sanaullah, Shakir Adnan, Sannia Bilal, Sarah Mir, Qiraat Soomro, Umna Laraib, Urhamish Ansari, Wajiha Batool and Zehra Fatima.

Discussing the awards, the Director of Gallery-6 Usama Arjumand stated, “We have been able to bring to limelight, several artists of high caliber with skillful painterly qualities and have given them a head start, which is satisfying.”

The exhibition will remain open till August 13 (except Saturday and Sunday) from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.