Written by: Sana Shahid
Posted on: February 16, 2023 | 
| 中文
Bamboo Yellow
Where can one draw the line between contentment and complacency? That is the primary question that Anjum Alix Noon poses in her work. ‘Life Goes on as Usual’ is the artist’s current exhibition at Gallery 8B2, showcasing a vast collection of her work. Apart from concepts of contentment and complacency, Noon’s works shed some much-needed light on environmental concerns, and on how little we matter in the larger challenge of climate change.
Twisted Tree 2
Noon has exhibited her art in various group and solo shows over the years. A lot of her art practice focuses on collaborations with people from different fields. She considers these collaborations to be opportunities to synthesize contrasting disciplines. Her collaborative work has connected Noon with fashion designers, textile printers and ceramists, as well as other artists. The winner of awards like the PuAward in Lahore and the DNAP in France, Noon’s artistic style stands out because of both her technique and her subjects.
‘Life Goes on as Usual’ is not a collection of monothematic artworks. Instead, it contains 45 individual pieces. Twenty-five of these focus on rural landscapes, while the rest are dedicated to letting Noon’s imagination run wild. There are recurring elements in the collection, but each piece of art has something unique to see and admire.
Bamboo Paddock
The landscapes that Noon has painted are highly detailed and have depth to them. The artist’s painting technique must also be commended. Her use of colors and brave, bold strokes give the pieces a characteristic aesthetic that makes them recognizable. The way light is used, makes the viewers feel as if they are a part of the scene being depicted. ‘Three Trees’ is a masterclass on how to strike the right contrast between sunlight and shade. Hues of yellow and orange in the foreground grab the viewer’s attention right away, leading the eye all the way to the back where rows of trees are painted almost as if in ‘bokeh’ (the aesthetic quality of the blur produced in out-of-focus parts of an image).
Noon’s tree works are equally impressive. They are created in the same characteristic manner but focus much more on natural details. In ‘Three Palms’, one can almost touch the trees’ barks. The red of the flowers pops out of the green, while a pastel blue sky ties the whole frame together. ‘Yellow Tree’ and ‘Twister Tree 1’ show organic forms nestled in lush green settings. All of the landscapes exude a sense of nostalgia and belonging for the viewer, bringing up memories of the simplicity and beauty that exists in rural areas.
Three Palms
At 2015’s Literature Festival in Islamabad, Noon quoted, “Artists must be free to create. As soon as one tries to institutionalize and tell artists what they should do, art is dead”. Seeing her artworks, it is evident that she herself creates freely, whatever and however she wants. This stands true, especially for the other half of ‘Life Goes on as Usual’, which is a set of highly imaginative artworks with recurring subjects and motifs. These are oil paintings, many of which look as if they have been sketched using colored pencils. Noon’s technique shines through yet again, giving each image her unique touch even though there is so much happening. The presence of animals, be they realistic or completely imagined, adds an almost surrealist charm to the works. Monkeys, horses and polar bears are often seen, along with Wi-Fi signals, hands and zebra patterns. All of these works combine across tall canvases to create imagery that demands time to be truly take in.
Small Bamboo
‘Hoopoe’ is one such artwork. At first glance, it wouldn’t be surprising to think of it as a collage, because of all that is going on in the frame. A central figure, with masterfully-painted expressions and features, is surrounded by everything from a horse and a bird to the moon and various sets of eyes. Hands come out from the bottom of the canvas, each in a different pose, reaching out to the nonchalant face. Another example is ‘Bearable Muse’, in which the muse, presumably, is being hugged by imaginary animals that look to be a cross between monkeys and teddy bears. Various emojis also cover the human figure, while the abstract background bursts with bold colors and shapes.
Bearable Muse
Gallery 8B2 is located in Chak Shahzad, Islamabad. Both the inside and outside of the Gallery provide just the right context for Noon’s landscape works. Her rural scenes displayed on stark white brick walls seem to be at home, while the space itself provides views of lush greenery and an organic vegetable farm outside. The Gallery was founded by Fatima Hamid, primarily to display her hand-painted silks. Today, Hamid curates the work of artists and craftspeople in the space, and invites everyone to spend some time closer to both art and nature at her gallery.
The show was inaugurated on the 4th of February 2023 and was on display till the 15th of February 2023.
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