“I am magic. I am a

mystery.

I purposefully cloak

my meanings.

But my ruse is not

intended to daunt you from discovering me.

My secrets ache to be

discovered by you.

Keep seeing my wisdom.

Your effort ensures

your reward.”

— Avia on Crow

Symbolism

The crow is the most misjudged bird in the world, having diverse meanings for its actions in different cultures: if a crow crows at you or follows you at night, it brings bad luck; the crow is a cunning bird; it is creepy and scary. Many more misconceptions are attached to crows and ravens. If one looks back at the pages of art history many artists from Caspar David Friedrich to Andrew Wyeth to Pablo Picasso have used crows and ravens as symbols in their artworks and depicted this winged creature contrarily as it is seen differently in various cultures.

Arslan Farooqi, a graduate of the National College of Arts (NCA), has drawn crows to portray the rhythm of life and rhythm of nature’s clock. In his solo exhibition at the Chawkandi Gallery, titled The space in between, he has presented a wide variety of paintings comprising his understanding and observation of crows’ movements, nature and interaction with the human world. He has expressed his certainty about the interaction of the nature, birds, space, time and other elements that make the world the place we live in. Without such interaction, he believes, the world would have paused and there would be no movement. The universe and all the creatures in it are tied to one another. It moves forward through their actions, reactions and responses.

Arslan Farooqi has expressed his certainty about the interaction of the nature, birds, space, time and other elements that make the world a place to live in. Without such interaction, he believes, the world would come to a halt.

Crows are believed by some to be fearless and intelligent. Farooqi uses them as a symbol of wisdom, unity and power. From a distance, a set of pictures on the right wall appear to carry some manuscript. On closer examination, one sees tens of crows drawn aligned in rows in various positions.

“I would sometimes get tired of the repetition in drawing and colouring, but the idea behind the work is to start a debate about time and space. That kept me motivated me to finish the work,” Farooqi says.

Similar pieces have been hung together to form clusters representing various chapters of his narrative. This is meant to help the viewer comprehend his ideas. The variation of movement is captivating and charismatic. In one of the artworks, hundreds of crows are seen flying in circles against white background. The focus creates a certain ferocity and restlessness. Flocks flying in different directions in other paintings appear to be a comment variously on distraction, regularity, monotony and rhythm.

The artist has brought together the significance of the bird in different cultures. He does not overburden his canvases with inclusion of unnecessary elements. Nor does he exaggerate the movements of the crows that are depicted in their routine, mostly flying. He has also not shown them engaging with humans or linked them to the sky or human dwellings. The omission of the details is deliberate and meant to direct spectators’ gaze to focus on the birds.

Farooqi says all beings provide context for other beings and help define them in space and time. The flying crows in his canvases evoke a sense of calm although crows have never been used to represent such emotions.

The execution is excellent. The serene white and subtle gold backgrounds and tranquil compositions are easy on the eyes. At the same time one is conscious of another narrative involving pandemonium and mayhem.

The writer is an art,  culture and entertainment journalist from Karachi, she can be reached at    mmaheenaaziz @outlook.com