Written by: Muhammad Hamza
Posted on: January 01, 2025 | 
| 中文
Dawn Goes Down To Day by Brishna Amin Khan
This episode of art review from Islamabad, Gallery 6 hosted a collection of artists who explored the idea of what heaven might look like to them. The show was curated by Sana Arjumand, who has been gathering a range of artists and working within her own personal medium of creation. This exhibition, a carefully selected group of works, aimed to create a visual representation of heaven and the afterlife, inviting each artist to express their individual interpretation.
Over centuries, various depictions of heaven have been passed down to us, often influenced by holy scriptures and spiritual texts. These interpretations have evolved with time, but the challenge of creating a personal visual representation of what heaven may look like remains a unique and profound exercise. The artists in this exhibition used different mediums and styles to offer their own renditions of this sacred, often intangible concept.
Eden Denied by Amra Khan
The beauty of this exhibition lies in the diversity of perception. While many of us have been told or have imagined heaven in similar ways, each artist presents their own individual vision, one shaped by their spiritual beliefs, memories and personal experiences. This diversity reflects the wide range of personal perceptions of what heaven might be like: a place of ultimate comfort, serenity and out-of-body experiences beyond anything we've encountered in our earthly lives. Below, we discuss the works of a few artists from the exhibition and their unique portrayals of heaven.
Aafia Ali Shah’s work evokes a sense of nostalgia, with imagery that hints at a classic style of living, filled with warm memories. Her technique revolves around oil washes over archival paper, giving her paintings a soft and an almost foggy quality. The subdued contrasts and prominent details create a feeling of a distant, blurry memory.
Her painting Impression – Air is a vivid portrayal of childhood nostalgia, evoking the warmth of a familiar place. It depicts a window framed by planters, overlooking a riverside house. The smudgy texture of the paint seems to capture the blurry nature of memory, making the scene feel ethereal. An empty chair beside the window suggests an intimate moment, as though inviting the viewer into this personal world, set during the quiet evening hours after sunset.
Impression - Air by Aafia Ali Shah
In Impression - Time, Aafia continues to explore the theme of nostalgia, this time depicting a kitchen counter with a few familiar utensils. The warmth in the imagery is highlighted by the play of light, as sunlight streams through the window, casting a shadow of a rack onto the wall. The subtlety of the lighting adds a layer of depth to the work, creating a soft, reflective atmosphere. In both pieces, the artist captures the quiet contentment of daily life, as if to suggest that heaven might be found in these small, serene moments.
Abu Hanzla’s Entrance to Heaven I-II offers a more monumental vision of the afterlife. Both paintings feature an archway, an entryway to heaven, with no door, suggesting that heaven is a place of openness, welcoming all who seek it. The hues in the two paintings differ, symbolizing the passage of time. Beyond the arch, there is a forest-like garden, a small glimpse of heaven, leaving much to the imagination. The arches themselves, with their clean, geometric lines, remind us of ancient monuments, symbols of beauty and sacredness, imbuing the work with a sense of timelessness.
Entrance to Heaven by Abu Hanzla
Asif Shareef’s abstract wooden sculptures present a unique interpretation of heaven. His intricate designs, created with precision and care, bring together organic shapes and intricate motifs that seem as though they have been crafted by divine hands. The curves of the sculptures are especially striking, with each piece showing a remarkable balance of form and function. Works such as Adam & Eve and Balance-I are thoughtfully sculpted, with the figures flowing into one another, suggesting a connection that transcends earthly existence. The craftsmanship of these pieces brings a sense of reverence to the viewer, as if they have been passed down from the heavens themselves.
Balance I by Asif Shareef
Brishna Amin Khan’s work transports the viewer into a dreamlike state. Her pieces depict idyllic landscapes: green hills, flying birds and cotton candy skies, evoking a sense of peace and tranquillity that is often associated with heaven. Dawn Goes Down To Day, showcases a hilly landscape bathed in soft, warm light. The scene is serene, almost otherworldly, as the light radiates across the snowy hills, inviting the viewer to immerse themselves in the beauty of the moment. Through her work, Brishna captures a sense of stillness, as though heaven might be a place where time stands still and nature thrives in its most peaceful form.
Muhammad Atif Khan’s work delves deeper into the spiritual realm, offering a vision of heaven that feels both ethereal and deeply grounded in reality. His painting Transcendence-V is a miniature masterpiece that explores the theme of human existence within the greater cosmic order. The intricate details of the work draw the viewer into a meditative state, urging them to contemplate the nature of life, death, and the afterlife. The divine, in Khan’s work, seems to transcend physical boundaries, capturing a spiritual essence that connects all of humanity to the universe.
Transcendence V by Muhammad Atif Khan
Ramsha Haider is one of the key artists in this exhibition, presenting a wide range of mixed media works that explore the symbolic patterns and imagery associated with heaven. Her piece Heavenly Chaos is a striking rendition of heaven that combines a variety of media and hues to create a dynamic and thought-provoking work. The chaos in the painting seems to represent the complexity of the afterlife, suggesting that heaven might not be a simple, tranquil place, but rather a realm full of contradictions and unknowns. The blending of different materials in her work creates a sense of movement, as if heaven itself is a place in constant flux.
Heavenly Chaos I by Ramsha Haider
The Heaven exhibition at Gallery 6 offers a glimpse into the diverse ways that artists perceive afterlife. From soft, nostalgic landscapes to intricate abstract sculptures, each work captures the personal, spiritual journey of the artist. Heaven, as depicted by these artists, is not a singular vision but a multifaceted concept, one shaped by individual beliefs, memories, and experiences. Through their varied interpretations, these artists invite us to reflect on our own perceptions of what heaven might look like and in doing so, offer a window into the soul's journey.
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