Written by: Ismail Umar
Posted on: August 29, 2015 | 
The exhibition featured paintings by four young female artists
“These artists play with their audience’s sensibilities and memories. They are motivated by factors ranging from an active interest in their surroundings to the modern world’s inability to survive without these innocuous objects”, said Zahra Khan, curator of the show. “Their work is the critical appreciation and active observation of daily life.”
Sanie Bokhari adds amazing depth to her artworks by using delicate, translucent organza and acrylic glass over photographs. She uses a variety of mediums that diversify her work, including wood, cloth and mirrors. “I synthesize my surroundings into my artwork by selecting chunks of architecture which portray domestic life as an inherent part of identity”, she says. “My art is meant to invoke a sense of uncertainty, which is meant to inspire me and the spectator to think beyond our humanly constructs.”
Zahra Asim presents her paintings in the form of mini-snapshots of ordinary scenes, consisting of everyday objects in routine settings. In order to give the viewer a feeling of overcrowded space, she works on a small scale, giving attention to every little detail. “I have an extraordinary memory. I spent my entire life in congested environments”, says Asim. “It used to bother me a lot, but with the passage of time, I’ve started turning romantic and nostalgic for it”.
Zoha Khan’s work focuses on inanimate, mechanical objects and their increasing hold on human society. She feels very strongly about the topic. “In this world of technological advancement, we invest in mechanical and digital objects to create comforts which we can no longer live without”, she says. “Our dependence on them creates a relationship whose presence outweighs the value of social and human worth. They no longer hold meaning as inanimate objects, but, ironically, as beings”.
Sidra Asim depicts the peculiarities of commonplace objects and situations by highlighting the idiosyncrasies that often go unnoticed in daily life. “I create my own realities in the form of painted stage sets by drawing on the diversity of my surroundings, with a particular fascination concerning movements as a condition of ongoing change”, says Asim.
Asma Khan, director of Satrang Gallery, commented on the artworks as well: “These artists highlight corners and aspects of everyday life that are often overlooked and ignored, but are remarkably recognizable and familiar”.
The exhibition will continue at the Satrang Gallery for a month.
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