Lahore’s past brought alive on canvas

Karachi

‘You don't stumble upon your heritage. It's there, waiting to be explored and shared.’ 

These words, uttered by Canadian singer-songwriter Robbie Robertson, came to mind after going through Munawar Mohiuddin’s latest collection, ‘An Aroma of Arcadia’, that went up on display at the Artscene Gallery starting Wednesday.

The quest to expose the past through its universality and objectivity is indeed perplexing; however, Mohiuddin was successful in his attempt to strike a perfect balance between beauty and originality in his depiction of Lahore’s old city areas.

Famous for his virtuoso oil painting technique, the artist while speaking to The News observed, “Heritage has a language of its own, it communicates with the observer to reveal its hidden beauty, and mystical charm.”   

According to Dr Shaukat Mahmood, a visitor at the gallery, a painter plays with colours, their value and composition to create a hard-hitting visual impact.

“A great painting is one that leaves a visual impact, while the most popular paintings are typically those that are easiest on the eye,” he said, adding that Mohiuddin managed to bring the two concepts together in his collection.

In order to analyse and appreciate Mohiuddin’s pieces, one needs to take into account all factors besides the painting techniques.

For renowned artist Chitra Pritam, the exhibited work was a beautiful tale of a unique perception of Lahore, which catered to the city`s rich multi-dimensional culture, while Omar – a student of liberal arts – believed that capturing the past through brush strokes was in itself a one-of-a-kind talent. “I wish for someone to also paint Karachi’s past in all its glory,” the visitor expressed.