- Posted on: January 31, 2014 | 
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Google Translation: اُردو | 中文
Exhibition, The Heart Nests, began on the 21st of January at Khaas Gallery and continues till tomorrow, the 1st of February. While the works will be taken off, Noor Yousof, the artist, has impacted the minds and, yes, the “hearts” of many; an influence which would, perhaps, take a much longer time to subside.
Hyper realism, the use of surreal imagery, in unusual surroundings to convey a powerful, potent thought, has been skillfully employed by the artist. The heart is seen sprouting trees and bushes, a woman’s body seems to encapsulate natural scenic beauty, a child’s umbilical cord tied to a cage and then there is interplay of birds, interacting with the naked forms of humans.
While the painting of the birds could have been more precise, since a lot of birds seemed to appear like fish, which again could have been an intentional effect generated by the artist, the artwork on the whole does convey a message which makes one to ponder. In the painting, “Without Words”, which perhaps took the largest space and which attracts attention immediately, has two naked human forms, of a man and a woman, sitting together but in a posture and a manner suggesting that they are, perhaps, estranged. Their hearts, however, are lying outside, which have sprouted bushes, blue and pink in color, and which are completely intermingled. Are they in love and yet afraid to disclose it? Are they somehow ‘bonded’ to each other and yet they have nothing left to say now? Noticeable also is the position of the man, who is crouched and completely disoriented while the woman is facing the audience but nevertheless with a dejected look on her face. They do not seem happy and yet there hearts have completely embraced each other, symbolized by the plants coming out of them.
Another painting that got this writer’s attention was “We met to say goodbye”. The title itself speaks volumes, the heart wrenching story which we get to hear every day. “We connected, we knew we were made for each other, but it couldn’t happen”; meeting, in fact only to say goodbye. The girl, is on her knees, with a defeated expression and posture, and we instantly sympathize with her, and want someone or something to blame for the presumable misery she is in.
The child and heart, both in brass, we find interspersed in the gallery. The child is sitting, and looking at the heart which is perhaps as big as itself. “Children are born innocent”, goes the cliché, with greater integrity and honesty which begins to wither away as we grow up trying to conform to the various underhand ways of our society. Life for grownups can be overwhelming, whereas the child carries his heart untainted of all maliciousness and complications.
There is an attempt by Noor Yousaf, to better understand, and align the heart, the world and spirituality, and an effort to reconcile them with each other. It is the heart, perhaps, that has the power to overcome all adversity. A “good” heart, perhaps, with plants and trees sprouting out of it, can achieve that resilience to bear this world successfully which many us lack.
