Written by: Shameen Arshad
Posted on: November 20, 2020 | 
Signs of Life by Ade Adesina
“Landscape of memory” - an online exhibition curated by Maliha Paracha and Sana Bilgrami opened at Koel Gallery, Karachi on the 17th of November. The exhibit proves itself to be a sensory delight, transporting the viewer to unfamiliar spaces through the various recollection of the artists from both Pakistan and abroad. One cannot witness Mahmood’s photo montages without feeling the sea breeze on one’s face, or look at Reed’s ice capped mountains without experiencing an unforgiving chill. One can hear the birdsong while looking at Saeed’s paintings of his home grown trees, and experience the repugnant scent of Adesina’s decimated landscapes.
The show brings together the work of 10 creatives from across the globe - Naiza Khan, Oliver Reed, Zara Mahmood, Farrukh Adnan, Usman Saeed, Ade Adesina, Marian Leven, Michele Marcoux, Gill Tyson and Sohail Zuberi. The exhibit is centred on the understanding of space, and how it evolves over time. Thus, the show not only exposes the viewer to a plethora of landscapes, ranging from the sun-soaked beaches of Karachi to the Scottish seascape, but also displays the various interpretations in which these spaces are read.
The exhibit reveals man and nature as indivisible. The artists, when recapitulating events, do not wish to “conquer” nature but to simply explore their relationship to their surroundings. Saeed’s delicate drawings capture nature with all its intricate details, whilst paying tribute to his late mother. The artist’s garden is named after his mother, and is used as a symbol of life and sustenance just like the warmth of a maternal figure.
Arjun Bagh e Sadia Gardenfinds Volume 8 Trees Unit 2
Mahmood describes her work as highlights of the little things in life that go unnoticed, such as the reflection of light onto tumultuous waves. Her dreamy images of sparkling waves compel the viewer to recall their personal experiences. She allows the viewer to think about getting lost in the rhythm of hypnotic water while perched on cold, wet rocks against which they crash, or the soothing sensation of seawater dragging out sand from within one’s toes.
When I Had The Sea All To Myself II by Zara Mahmood
Adesina’s approach is a complete antithesis to the romanticism seen in the above-mentioned artwork. The artist’s prints are an amalgamation of various angles of the London skyline, presented as nightmares, showing how everyday objects can assume a sinister quality when there is chaos or disorder. The work hints at urban claustrophobia and unnaturally built concrete environments. The images seem to capture a timeline, starting “With the View after Questions” as a look into the apocalyptical end of the world as we know it, while “Beyond the Line” and “Signs of Life” seem to examine the aftermath of the disaster. It is interesting to think about whether the artist intended to delve into magical realism by presenting the follies of our current life through exaggerated bizarre scenes, or what he perceives as the inevitable future.
Reed’s images strip the landscape to its bare essence, using fluid brushstrokes to emulate the rhythmic movement of the forces of nature, with their own unique mechanisms. Reed’s work embraces nature for all it has to offer, whether talking about its unpredictability or its serenity. His monochromatic palette assumes different moods with different strokes – where precise marks applied on paper promote a sense of calm in the snow, and uninhibited marks highlight the wildness of the rugged ice capped mountains.
The Lost-Valley (After Wu Yuanzhi) by Oliver Reed
Khan’s images are inundated with shifting figures and spots, revealing spaces that are mutating with time. The artist’s skill is visible in her manipulation of the medium, wherein she makes oil on linen as translucent and ephemeral as watercolours. Khan’s images suggest repeated visits to the same space that creates new memories each time, manifesting in the form of different translucent layers of paint. The layers of paint upon paper could also represent memories and affiliations that are fading into the background or morphing with new narratives. This idea is symbolic of the extensive history that a space can have for one or many people. Khan’s images possess an otherworldly quality to them, despite being rooted in reality. The images are a symbiosis of the artist’s sentiments and the tangible structures she witnesses. The layers buried below perhaps represent the associations with a particular space fading with time, and the darker hues on top could represent the present.
Landfill II by Nazia Khan
Adnan takes the most abstract approach out of all the artists by painting frantic and blurred lines to reveal shapes. Though it might be hard to connect the visuals to the theme, it reveals the uniqueness of each individual’s take on the subject of space. If the subject is constantly evolving, so too can our interpretations of it. Adnan divides his images into multiple frames, promoting the idea of transformation through subtle changes in composition, reinforcing the transitory nature of his pieces.
Portrait of Time And Space by Farrukh Adnan
The show was preceded by a webinar with the artists, which one might argue robs the viewer of the opportunity to reflect on the works. However, the images have a lot to offer, and the words of the artist need only nudge us in a particular direction. ‘Landscapes of Memory’ reveal how the majesty and boundless depth of natural elements can be seen through the human mind, resulting in obsessive observations and complex, labour-intensive image-making. It is also interesting to consider what is omitted and what is embellished in these selected landscapes, as the artists transfer life and memory to the canvas.
‘Landscape of Memory’ can be viewed online at the Koel Gallery Website, till 29th December.
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