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    Through the Veil of Dreams by Tabinda Chinoy at Gallery 6

    Written by: Sana Shahid
    Posted on: October 30, 2024 | | 中文

    My Beautiful World - I by Tabinda Chinoy

    Tabinda Chinoy’s artistry is a deeply immersive journey into cultural landscapes and human emotion, depicting her unique blend of vibrant aesthetics and abstract storytelling. Her recent exhibition, Through the Veil of Dreams, held at Gallery 6 in Islamabad, showcases her commitment as an artist to exploring themes of unity, identity and resilience. Chinoy, known for her bold and expressionistic approach, combines semi-abstract elements in her work to invite viewers to experience a world rich in both cultural symbolism and emotional depth. In this exhibition, she pushes the boundaries of expression further, drawing on Pakistan’s cultural fabric while creating a harmonious two-dimensional world where diversity is celebrated on a canvas. Each piece is a dialogue between the artworks and the viewer, with Chinoy offering glimpses of her vision while leaving space for an individual’s imagination.

    Spring - II

    Chinoy’s desire to reflect the lives and struggles of women has been a consistent theme throughout her series of exhibitions. Her work resonates with the nuances of the female experience, capturing moments of vulnerability, courage and strength. Her fascination with figurative forms, especially those depicting women, adds a personal and reflective quality to her paintings. For Chinoy, art becomes a voice for the silenced, a space where women can break free from the constraints of traditional and conservative societal norms. This deep engagement with the female psyche serves as both a celebration and critique of her cultural heritage, adding a layer of complexity to her work that shows how deeply Chinoy feels about the societal pressures and boundaries for women to follow with their heads held down.

    K2

    In Through the Veil of Dreams, Chinoy moves beyond personal reflection to explore a broader realm where dreams take on a tangible form, a veil that once lifted, reveals a world filled with expression and freedom for the female gender. This dreamlike space flows through the exhibition, with Chinoy’s use of color, form and composition drawing viewers into a world where familiar symbols and structures interact in unexpected ways. By creating this, Chinoy invites her audience to envision a reality in which diverse communities represented by various religious and architectural symbols thrive together.

    The central motif of buildings in this exhibition is a departure from her earlier works, which were primarily centered on the human figure. Here, she uses architecture as a metaphor for societal cohesion, blending religious symbols like mosques, churches, temples and synagogues with contemporary urban structures. These buildings, ranging from humble mud huts to towering skyscrapers, reflect humanity’s shared aspirations and needs. Her work suggests that each architectural structure, despite its unique background, fulfills a universal role as a place of gathering, refuge and worship.

    Togetherness

    This symbolic use of architecture offers a fresh perspective on integrating linear and geometrical shapes and forms that are used as an analogy for portraying the concept of commonality. Chinoy advocates for diversity through her artworks, a message that resonates deeply in the 21st Century when the world is dividing, separating and expressing anger. Her art challenges viewers to reconsider their perceptions of cultural and religious segregation. Her vision of inclusive harmony is both inspiring and provocative, serving as a reminder that peaceful coexistence is not only possible but deeply necessary.

    Live & Let Live

    In addition to her architectural motifs, Chinoy’s use of color and texture is a critical component of her storytelling. Her choice of vibrant hues and layered brushstrokes brings energy to each piece, inviting viewers to feel the emotional resonance behind each scene. While her color palettes are bold, they are also purposeful, often reflecting a sense of optimism and hope. Each layer of color builds upon the previous one, creating a sense of depth and continuity, much like the layers of human experience. This approach adds a tactile dimension to her work, making each piece feel like an unfolding story from Pandora’s box rather than being a static image.

    Chinoy hasn’t only limited her symbolism to architecture but also depicted natural imagery, like birds and fish. These motifs recur throughout her work, representing themes of freedom, resilience, and transformation. Birds, often depicted in flight, suggest an aspiration to transcend boundaries and soar beyond limitations, symbolizing the desire for liberation in both physical and metaphorical senses. Fish, meanwhile, embodies adaptability and endurance, thriving in diverse and challenging environments. Altogether, this symbolism is adhering to the same cause which is to see a world where unity prevails and diversity wins, a world full of love and care instead of conflict and hatred, a reality where exception is expected, and commonality takes a step back.

    One With the Fish

    In Through the Veil of Dreams, Tabinda Chinoy redefines the boundaries of cultural and artistic expression, presenting an aspirational view of society that celebrates difference while emphasizing unity. Her work is not only a visual journey but a philosophical one, challenging the viewer to envision a world built on mutual respect and understanding. Through her art, Chinoy continues to inspire dialogue, reflection and hope, inviting each of us to look beyond the visible and imagine a world shaped by shared dreams and aspirations. Her exhibition leaves a lasting impression, affirming the role of art as a powerful force for connection, empathy and change.

    Gallery

    Purple Flower

    My Beautiful World - II

    Unrequited Love


    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









    Video message by Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed on Black Day of Indian Occupation of Kashmir



    Video message by Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed on Black Day of Indian Occupation of Kashmir, 27 October 1947, when Indian military troops forcibly occupied Kashmir illegally, claiming a fraudulent ‘Instrument of Accession’ which never existed as documented by eminent British historian Alastair Lamb! Kashmir & Palestine are examples of illegal occupation & continued Resistance to Repression! There are so many commonalities in Kashmir & Palestine: both under brutal military occupation of foreign powers, both are facing an indigenous, popular, spontaneous & widespread Resistance & Uprising, both are in violation of UN Resolutions which haven’t been implemented, both are witnessing an attempted change in the demographic balance, both are facing the use of rape as a weapon of war, both are testimony to double-standards & hypocrisy of Western powers on human rights & fundamental rights, and both conflicts have an element of racism and Islamophobia, while enduring peace, security and stability will remain elusive in both regions, South Asia & Middle East, until these issues are resolved in accordance with popular aspirations.