Written by: Nayha Jehangir Khan
Posted on: February 11, 2019 | 
Doppelgangers II by Hoor Imad and Untitled by Saqiba Suleman
As the name suggests, 1 x 1, is the chosen scale for the paintings exhibited in the show, and while this may seem like a limitation, this 53 person art exhibition proves otherwise. The female curatorial duo of Zara Sajid and Scheherzade Junejo, belong to Islamabad and Karachi, respectively, while their participating artists belong to various regions of Pakistan - predominantly from the South and stretching to the North. The exhibition opened at Aqs Art Gallery, Islamabad on 7th February, 2019 and was inaugurated by Country Director World Bank, Mr. Patchamuthu Illangovan. Artists present at the opening included Alia Bilgrami, Amna Suheyl, Faten Suleman, Hassan Shah Gilani, Suleman Khilji, Shehzil Malik, Tahira Noreen, Sana Saeed, Maryam Arslan, Raja Najm ul Hassan and Sana Dar.
This new wave curation is collaborative in nature, and rather than focusing on established artists, Sajid wants to bring together aspiring and mid-level career artists. Each participating artist accommodated the curatorial criterion, by showcasing their entire studio practice in one square foot. The challenge was to encapsulate individual artistic style, form, technique, colour and concept in one piece, that too with a specific scale requirement! The final display includes 7 acrylic, 13 oil and 10 watercolour paintings, with a few ink, graphite, pen and marker works, as well as those that went beyond the traditional mediums. Surfaces included canvas, paper, tracing film, digital print, along with a woodcut by Abdul Muhammad called, “Aajana,” and a black paper with gold leaf by Shiblee Munir titled, “Oh.” There were several overarching themes: abstract, figurative, portraiture, architectural, kitsch, minimalistic, social, comical, cinematic, animal, textile and design. The panoramic view of the gallery at a glance feels like a visual landscape of modern day Pakistani painting. There were 33 female artists and 22 male artists showcasing their works. This review will take an in depth look at a few of the works.
The only self portrait of the show was by Sakina Ali, titled “Self Portrait – Preserving Feelings – December 12th, 2018” done with Oils on Wasli paper. This warm toned, classically rendered painting has the title card placed inside the frame, as if it was a filed document or a piece of Ali’s memory stored in her records of time. It is a moment only she witnessed, and with compassionate self-reflection is sharing with her viewer. Ali is depicted sitting by herself, with tears in her eyes, and a time stamp of 09:34 PM underneath. The work resonates with anyone who has had a moment similar to hers, where pain, sadness and deep contemplation come together and unearth emotions relatable and shared through feelings of loss.
A double portrait that stands out from the tide of art works is Amna Suheyl’s “Ancestral (I),” done with Etching/Aquatint on Archival Paper. This work is pensive, with the two subjects, almost identical in their representational form, showing different expressions while sitting together in one frame. The work has a ying-yang nature of contrasting tones. Even though the top half is solid black, the two figures at the bottom hold the weight of the black background on their shoulders. Their posture is either of slouching or resting, and who they are, as well as what their relationship is, is open to interpretation. A counterpart double portrait painting is by Hoor Imad, titled “Doppelgangers II,” done in Gouache and 24 Karat Gold on Wasli. The playfulness of colour and gold in Imad’s painting, reminds the viewer of the queen of hearts from a deck of cards - grandiose and entirely in charge of her frame. Both artists have two identical female subjects with obscure and mysterious narratives, who raise questions such as: Is one the subject with the other as a psychological companion? Is it representing the duality of conscious and subconscious mind?
Artists Irfan Gul Dahri and Noreen Rashid, both trained extensively in miniature painting, are now immersed in a retelling of their internalized visuals, by redefining the context. Much like a painterly collage, Gul’s “Bunny Story,” in Acrylic on Canvas, is an intricate laborious execution that produces a lucid world that is becoming Gul’s signature. Rashid, on the other hand, is more experimental with her work. Like an unfinished mind map, she incorporates a grid and words creating an opposing energy around her miniature portrait in “Untitled,” done with Gadrang on Wasli. Both artists are unapologetically modernizing their miniature practice, by exploring unconventional imagery and techniques.
A visual parallel can be drawn between Saqiba Suleman’s piece “Untitled” and Alia Bilgrami’s “Letting go.” These two works are similar in their exploration of flora and fauna, and are emotional and immediate in their compositional structure. Both artists use specific anchors in their visual explorations of flowers and other natural elements. Suleman’s portrait is anchored in the centre of her painting, reframed by a spacious intertwining floral composition. Bilgrami’s piece compresses naturalistic strokes into a tight space, much like a portrait on its own at the centre of her frame. She employs painterly techniques with the strategic positioning of her signature tulip motif. This particular piece uses watercolour, gouache and silver leaf on tea-stained wasli paper.
Drawing and perspective can lend a realistic hand, in creating otherworldly images and scapes. The absence of colour in works by Mina Arham and Sara Aslam depict a personalization of perspective, providing the artist freedom to create a visual world, referencing both their internal and external environments. Indifferent towards traditional painting techniques and methodologies, Arham uses pen on tracing film to create a bird’s eye view of her matrix like landscape. Similarly, Aslam uses a 360 degree panoramic view, to create her whimsical world of fantasy and imagination. Both these artists primarily focus on perspective, but their execution is playful and relaxed, and their technique seemingly casual. These works were a much needed transitional pause, among other heavy weight and colourful paintings on display.
I advise our readers to visit the show, before it ends on 19th February, 2019. This article is simply a preview to the extensive talent and creativity on display at Aqs Art Gallery, Islamabad.
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