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    Art Review: To Be, or Not to Be at the Numaish Gah (Art Gallery)

    Written by: Muhammad Hamza
    Posted on: August 26, 2024 | | 中文

    Symphony (detail) by Isra Noman

    In an ongoing art exhibition, Numaish Gah, Lahore, hosted six multidisciplinary artists from different parts of Pakistan, compiling their newest works of art using modern techniques. The exhibition inter-relates between each other; let’s dive into the first artist who has mastered the art of layering her wasli sheets.

    Abida Dahri:

    Her layering techniques with masking tape and acrylic on wasli have gained attention all over Pakistan and internationally, where she practices a few different techniques.

    Dahri’s plain motif creates patterns in an interlude of fashion and colors that could reside between opposing forces, such as innocence and wisdom, obedience and rebellion. The opposite acts of spending life as either one of them are portrayed through the convicted patterns that Abida presents within that spectrum.

    Abida’s vivid colour scheme might be seen as a highlight in the gallery. Her works showcase a tremendous skill to layer up the highlights with white and let the base colour melt in to create a vibrant, immersive feel for the viewer. It has its own charm as we think of being trapped on the bridge for such directions that could be seen as opposites in our lives.

    Eve (detail) by Abida Dahri

    Her artwork titled “Eve” is a core piece, where it reveals the layers in intricacy and showcases the flowing patterns like neurons attached to their core bodies. This base of dark crimson strokes showcases a lot of sense in creating a virtual bridge between the top and first base layer, showing the depth of our inner self.

    Aiman Jamil:

    Her lead pencil fluidity goes beyond any measure. She applies layers of lead and renders shadows while creating textured flowers made out of lead blobs, forming a motif of nostalgic presence and permanence related to the ongoing decay in our lives.

    Ms Aiman showcases the presence of decay and exclaims that there is an expiry date for any loving thing. Her nature of painting permeates the whole concept of creating a story of those living bodies.

    Her flowers hold a gritty feeling, as if they had been neglected and weren’t taken care of. However, there is a scenic view that invites the viewer to delve deeper into a love for those trees around the textured edges, forming a whole story about evolving into decay.

    Silent Elegy by Aiman Jamil

    Her work “Silent Elegy” has its own charm with thick, embossed stems and petals, such an expression to be felt in real time. Aiman has ensured that we explore the possibilities and probabilities of this journey as we age and the surroundings age with us.

    Fawad Jafri:

    He is the one who has mastered the art of line. His journey showcases that the first-ever transformation he made was through a line. Segments over segments and row after row of lines compile up to a point where they give the viewer an experience of familiar patterns that have crossed their sight.

    Jafri has explored the technique and mastered it to create a skilful, linear and neat creation. However, it seems like a haze, something trippy with a transcendental hue of blue underneath that layer. The immersion effect makes the viewer fall into the paintings as a skew.

    Hexagon Polygonal No. 5 by Fawad Jafri

    His work “Hexagon Polygonal” is one of his main pieces, where he has shown his skilful art style by creating a skewed cube. He also highlights the importance of straightening the line. He exclaims that his paintings are a lingering tale of stories, with viewers exploring their stories in a more modern, minimal form.

    Irsa Noman:

    in her works, the repetition of lines and selected elements forms a pattern that allows the viewer to experience a perspective of individuality and unity simultaneously. Her works are intricate, articulated with such precision and hues that keep the eyes fixed on those contrasting subjects in the pieces.

    The ideations constructing singular or separate interweave to create a vivid, cohesive reality. Her works prove that reality coexists with many others. This post-modern approach by Miss Noman gives us a starstruck insight into a language owned by everyone in their respective pronunciations.

    Her work “The Artistry of Heart’s Swirling Depth” (Archival Ink on Canvas) has prominent strokes that keep repeating as if they create a black hole to suck everything into it. Yet, the elements stay alive and fight through it all. The artwork has a hue with white highlights, as if it's eating up the rest of the black growth. From afar, this might appear as a macro visual of an eye, as a pupil.

    Kishwar Kiani:

    Graphite has been her tool to conquer the bridge of chaos and order. They coexist within her perspectives and showcase a sense of modesty and a brute style, creating pipes and structures as sculptures that capture a wide array of emotions.

    Kiani provides the viewer with a perspective of how there might be some chaos leading to annihilation, yet some beauty still lies around those strokes and shadows that capture a wide array of emotions.

    Round the Bend - full (detail) by Kishwar Kiani

    Kiani provides the viewer with a perspective of how there might be some chaos leading to annihilation, yet some beauty still lies around those strokes and shadows that linger in the centre of her sheet.

    It’s inevitable that her work showcases a sense of morality as well. Once we delve into this spectrum of possibilities where opposite forces coexist, Kishwar believes that her structures in the drawings offer a bridge between order and chaos, a hyphen between destruction and creation. Often camouflaged within her intricate structures are layers bearing a narrative, frequently concealed in plain sight and challenging to decipher.

    Muhammad Asad Gulzar:

    A mixed-media artist who has explored a language style including ink, graphite, and acrylic paint on canvas. His freehand strokes and vivid two-tone colour scheme are truly appreciable. His artworks revolve around the myriad emotions and essence of life through his own journey.

    Asad has showcased different aspects of creating an inward and outward relationship with patterns, giving a sense of transcendence into a realm that parallels this one. He has been able to recreate the ability to form by deconstructing a few structures, like pillars that can be rearranged as a puzzle. His work “Non-Black III” is the centre piece for his concept of re-enacting emotions and experiences one would have in their lifetime.

    Non-Black III by Muhammad Asad Gulzar

    In such a vast variety of artists, there’s still a sense of connection and synced mediums to affirmations between artists, from graphite layers on layers to textures and lines. All form one motive: to experience life in the present. The modern approach to creating is to re-enact the original in your own taste and form a vibrant understanding of the grey areas in life where we have always lived. Hence, the desire to keep moving comes from immersing oneself in these moments with spontaneity.


    As the new year begins, let us also start anew. I’m delighted to extend, on behalf of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and in my own name, new year’s greeting and sincere wishes to YOULIN magazine’s staff and readers.

    Only in hard times can courage and perseverance be manifested. Only with courage can we live to the fullest. 2020 was an extraordinary year. Confronted by the COVID-19 pandemic, China and Pakistan supported each other and took on the challenge in solidarity. The ironclad China-Pakistan friendship grew stronger as time went by. The China Pakistan Economic Corridor projects advanced steadily in difficult times, become a standard-bearer project of the Belt and Road Initiative in balancing pandemic prevention and project achievement. The handling capacity of the Gwadar Port has continued to rise and Afghanistan transit trade through the port has officially been launched. The Karakoram Highway Phase II upgrade project is fully open to traffic. The Lahore Orange Line project has been put into operation. The construction of Matiari-Lahore HVDC project was fully completed. A batch of green and clean energy projects, such as the Kohala and Azad Pattan hydropower plants have been substantially promoted. Development agreement for the Rashakai SEZ has been signed. The China-Pakistan Community of Shared Future has become closer and closer.

    Reviewing the past and looking to the future, we are confident to write a brilliant new chapter. The year 2021 is the 100th birthday of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Pakistan. The 100-year journey of CPC surges forward with great momentum and China-Pakistan relationship has flourished in the past 70 years. Standing at a new historic point, China is willing to work together with Pakistan to further implement the consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, connect the CPEC cooperation with the vision of the “Naya Pakistan”, promote the long-term development of the China-Pakistan All-weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership with love, dedication and commitment. Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the founding father of Pakistan said, “We are going through fire. The sunshine has yet to come.” Yes, Pakistan’s best days are ahead, China will stand with Pakistan firmly all the way.

    YOULIN magazine is dedicated to promoting cultural exchanges between China and Pakistan and is a window for Pakistani friends to learn about China, especially the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. It is hoped that with the joint efforts of China and Pakistan, YOULIN can listen more to the voices of readers in China and Pakistan, better play its role as a bridge to promote more effectively people-to-people bond.

    Last but not least, I would like to wish all the staff and readers of YOULIN a warm and prosper year in 2021.

    Nong Rong Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of
    The People’s Republic of China to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan
    January 2021