Written by: Shameen Arshad
Posted on: April 06, 2022 | 
| 中文
Cheers Darlin'i by Mohsin Shafi
The show “A decade” is a compendium of years of labor at the Satrang Art Gallery, Islamabad. The Gallery welcomed a large crowd on Thursday evening, the 31st of March, as it showcased the premise upon which the Gallery was built and operates today. The show that marks ten years of the Gallery displayed the works of 50 artists that have been part of their repertoire. Satrang prides itself on promoting an eclectic range of artistic disciplines and points of view. The show included senior artists and emerging artists alike, giving a little overview into the Pakistani art market and what it has to offer.
With such a large display and variation of works, it is not possible for the viewer to absorb the entire show easily. However, that is when you can really spot the pieces that are special; those that stand out amongst the crowd.
Purgatory by Ali Saad
Sundus Azfer’s piece “Ritual Box”, shows the ease of conformity and predictable outcomes. The work possesses a meditative quality brought about through the visible repetition of Qur’anic verses. The written words make the prayer more permanent and concrete, thus seemingly more affective. In today’s socio-political scene, the work takes up contrasting meanings, one that of blind devotion or the healing of incantation.
Anuskha Rustomji’s emotionally charged monochromatic drawing has a quiet demeanor, yet possesses the ability to stand out within the variegated color palettes amongst which it is placed. The drawing embodies the mutable state of living and breathing organisms, reflecting a volatile state of mind alongside the evolution within mother nature.
Similarly, Akram Dost Baloch’s surreal landscapes discuss a space between dreams and reality. The abstract landscape assumes human attributes. The viewer experiences strong surges of emotion that cannot be entirely defined, beautifully representing the complexity and dichotomy present within man. Thus, Baloch has filled his imagery with the sensibility and wisdom that comes with the years of practice. The wavy lines move the viewer’s eye across the paper, just as we witness vast landscapes and skylines. The “Untitled” images are a significant move away from the artist’s signature style, a move most artists are afraid of making due to the acceptability of the former.
Sunset at river Ravi by Mughees Riaz
Mughees Riaz’s “Sunset at River Ravi” stands as a complete contrast to Baloch’s sublime spaces, exuding a defined air of calm and serenity. The placement of the piece on its own in a corner, enhanced the feeling of openness and stillness that is created by the image, successfully exerting its space amongst the many pieces on display.
Dua Abbas Rizvi’s “Aspirations to a Disappearance”, inspired from a family photo album, talks about the much-overlooked women’s contribution to archiving the South Asian community. The pastel palette and delicate line work are reminiscent of the embroidery tablecloths and napkins passed down through the generations. The protagonist is depicted as a mystical creature in ordinary clothing, much like many strong South Asian women.
The Garden of Grief by Natasha Malik
Natasha Malik’s paintings reveal a heart-breaking account perhaps of the artist’s life. Within the work resides an overwhelming feeling of loss. Malik is seen to recreate upon paper past experiences and memories, resulting in images that are a combination of both reality and fabrications of the mind. The changes in painting technique and medium throughout the image, along with the unconventional composition symbolizes the less than curated nature of life. Malik’s images are a combination of both fantasy and remembrance.
Remains by Ramzan Jafri
A looming sense of loss also inhabits Ramzan Jafri’s piece “Remains” that turned quite a few heads. The piece demands the viewer’s time and encourages repeated glances, not just due to the artist’s painting prowess, but also the weight of the grief that is reflected through it.
As Long As I Live by Affan Baghpati
Shah Abdullah Alamee’s “MARYAM” displays a similar ease with his medium. The artist’s prowess makes a rather tough craft of calligraphy look effortless. The same effortlessness is seen in Rabeya Jalil’s “Classroom”, with her uninhibited paint application. The strong and energetic paint marks draw the viewer’s attention to the importance of the technique over subject matter. Similarly, Affan Baghpati’s “As long as I live”, reveals the same approach to artmaking, where the technique and process is of the utmost importance. Baghpati’s treatment of material alters the very nature and purpose that is normally associated to the object he replicates, in this case a “lota”. By doing so the artist suggests the object having a meaning or purpose beyond its rudimentary usage. His rendered objects give materiality to memories, traditions, lifestyles and on a larger scale belonging and placement.
1990 by Zahra Asim
Zahra Asim’s brass pieces are an aberration from her intricate and detailed oil paintings. The artist now seems to explore beyond the canvas to see what context and beauty unfinished surfaces can add to her compositions. The title of Asim’s piece, “That holds everything in place”, alludes to physical boundaries as a means of dividing and determining the space of different individuals in society, and the sense of security that comes with the ownership of their allotted space. Therefore, her structures are physical manifestations of the immaterial distinctions of ownership, belonging and security.
Sindh 2,500 BC by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto
Furthermore, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s delicate embroidery also talks about demarcation as he visually represents the evolution of the Indus and the many rituals, beliefs and lifestyles it represents. The artist uses a technique that is deeply grounded in the South Asian domestic setting, a tradition that has been passed down and contains the weight of the past and present simultaneously. The practice seems rather apt, as the changing of hands overtime represents the transformation of the river over the years.
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