Written by: Shameen Arshad
Posted on: January 16, 2023 | 
| 中文
Dichotomy (diptych) by Hamza Qazi
The exhibition named, Zeitgeist, is an attempt at reflecting the spirit of our times. It is a display of the complex, multifaceted and contemporary human spirit. Intimate portraits adorn the walls of Khaas Contemporary and prompt the old debate of nature vs nurture. The artworks question whether the human figures constitute the world around them, or are they themselves a product of the material world.
The human condition is an ever-fluctuating phenomenon. Therefore, the images portraying it encompass a multi-dimensionality and will be read and interpreted differently, at different moments of time.
Tayyari by Javaid Mughal
The show is curated by Aasim Akhtar and opened at Khaas Contemporary on the 14th of January, 2023. It consists of works by Hamza Qazi, Javaid Mughal, Madiha Hyder, Qadir Jhatial and Saqiba Suleman. The artists present a sense of alienation as a main characteristic of our times. The works speak to related ideas of self-centeredness, detachment and isolation. The artists collectively speak to this alienated human condition, albeit through their unique perspectives and varied modes of expression.
Hamza Qazi’s “Dichotomy” uses replication to reinstate the idea of a single entity, and a varied colour palette for the draped fabric to talk about the disunion within that being. The images are rather simple but elevated by the painstaking treatment of the fabric. In Qazi’s work, we approach his characters through their material surroundings. The face of the character might be absent, but the creased fabric, loose in some parts and strained in another, give us evidence as to the tone of the subject. Furthermore, it reveals body language, instead of facial expressions as an appropriate gauge of one’s mental state.
Boundaries by Hamza Qazi
To reiterate the idea of dualism the artist has split the composition in unconventional ways to speak to the unconfined and limitless human spirit. Qazi’s figures show a suppressed agitation, lingering beneath the surface. The dramatic lighting highlights the inner conflicts. Qazi takes European aesthetics, such as baroque lighting, and assimilates them into South Asian settings, highlighting a bigger theme of European influence in South Asian art and culture.
Javed Mughal’s Mela and its vitality, stand as a metaphor for the world. Just as in life, it’s animated with several parallel-running storylines. The composition reflects a disconnect within society, as the characters are all oblivious to others around them. The group of boisterously high-fiving friends are completely unaware of the absurdity of a man bending backward in a shopping trolley next to them. The school children march on in a line, unaffected by the antics before them, again proposing a more insular approach to life.
Mela by Javaid Mughal
The artist seems to have fun with his painterly strokes, varying them from one part of the canvas to another, re-enacting the joy and liveliness that is associated with a carnival setting. “Tayyari”, further illustrates nonintersecting storylines, with the characters’ gaze directed straight at the audience.
Jhatial’s work is built on similar lines. The patches of solid colour act as an effective tool to talk about a lack of symbiosis in contemporary society. Jhatial simply captures what he sees around him without judgment, for interpretation and judgment are left entirely to the viewer.
Toymaker in a Street by Qadir Jhatial
Hyder has used a straightforward way of documenting the spirit of her characters. Blank backdrops and monochrome charcoal drawings are instruments used to reduce distractions from her main subject. It also reinforces the idea of the human body and soul being a holistic entity, with no need of further embellishments or support.
Hyder’s portraits pull focus onto the idea of the gaze, of watching, and being watched. The contrasting averted and direct gaze, change the roles of the “object” and “subject”. The photorealistic images and the lack of distractions from the characters make them feel more confrontational, developing a stronger connection between them and the viewer. Hyder’s portraits contain intimate details, the more you spend time with them, the more you learn about their subtleties. For example, the figure with a prayer cap and a star tattoo on the neck, portrays an individual that doesn’t fit our societal categorizations. Furthermore, the masked female appears to talk about existing in a world struck by a pandemic.
To Set The World On Fire by Madiha Hyder
Saqiba Suleman gives equal importance to her foliage and her characters, suggesting that they are inseparable and co-constitutive. Her images are less dependent on the viewer as her characters seem to have withdrawn into themselves. Unlike the other works on display, Suleman talks about the relationship between humans and mother nature. However, the synthetic, unreal look of the foliage, suggests a compromised form of nature, or perhaps a departure into a fantastical space.
Untitled by Saqiba Suleman
The exhibition can be seen as an act of introspection by the artists that reveal something of themselves via fictitious characters on their canvas. The display allows the viewer to find something of themselves on the gallery walls as well, therefore connecting the artist to its audience to build some of the human camaraderie that we are all searching for. The show continues till the 28th of January, 2023.
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