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    Art Review: Fragments of the Unseen at Gallery 6

    Written by: Muhammad Hamza
    Posted on: October 10, 2024 | | 中文

    A painting by Mobina Zuberi displayed at her recent show 'Fragments of the Unseen.'

    In these contemporary times of the art world, we have stumbled upon a vintage painting style by Mobina Zuberi. Her solo exhibition at Gallery 6, curated by Dr. Arjumand Faisal, has brought forth a new wave of abstraction in depictions of women.

    Mobina Zuberi explores the drama and posture of female anatomy. The paintings are sensual to an extent, but not overly mythical or glamorized. They showcase a wide range of expressions, creating a bond with moments of instinct, desire or drama.

    Her colour palette is expressive, featuring earthy tints and shades with only a few bright hues, using white to highlight figures at times. The shades on the anatomy are more vivid against the earthly drawn backgrounds, immersing the viewer and encouraging eye contact for a longer period. The pigments are oil-based, but many of her artworks also utilize oil paint washes, giving a fluid blending texture to the paintings.

    Apart from painting women’s postures, which are carefully positioned to suit character and mood, she explores another genre of painting: abstraction. The compositions are vivid and bold, showing depth and emotion through which she communicates and focuses on formal elements like shape, balance and depth.

    Mobina Zuberi's art work

    Another medium she employs for this series, apart from canvas, is handmade Nepalese paper. This unique paper is one of a kind and provides a hardened dark texture suitable for oil paint, showcasing greater depth.

    Nepalese Lokta paper is an eco-friendly paper handmade from the fibre of the "Nepal Paper Plant," also known as the Daphne shrub or Lokta bush. The blend and washes from the oil paints dissolve finely in Nepalese paper, giving a texture like no other. Mobina has been actively involved in exploring women’s postures and their skin textures. Every emotion or desire can change a person’s body texture, forming a secular sense of beauty and sensuality.

    Delving into Mobina’s artworks, we find fusions of female anatomy with abstract shapes and washes surrounding the medium.

    (Artwork 01)

    The three figures sit in a posture with their heads down, draped in linen clothing that reveals some body structure, accented by a touch of red lip colour. At first glance, it’s a hearty visual; however, upon closer inspection, the darker background depicts remorse and grief infused into the scene. Mobina showcases emotions and desires through her artworks, and this piece exemplifies her feelings toward the character of a woman.

    Art work 1

    (Artwork 02)

    Two women sit facing each other, one displaying her nude back while the other is partially covered from shoulder to waist. The expression conveys care and support in times of distress and shame. The textures and colour pigments Mobina uses align perfectly with her motive. We cannot deny that the captured moment is truly a work of art.

    (Artwork 03)

    The faces are visible yet slightly distorted by the texture produced. Two women sit with their legs drawn up, countering the gaze of the other, creating a beautiful interaction in the space. Mobina presents a wildly realistic portrait of women in an abyss.

    Art work 2

    (Artwork 04)

    The remarkable Nepalese paper has its own texture, bringing out articulated detail and depth in this abstract motif crafted for a visual sense of beauty. The golden and green hues against the dark brown background, highlighted by a hint of crimson, immerse the viewer, inviting a subtle gaze at the artwork. The motif is strictly abstract, with contrast playing a vital role in revealing the beauty of the piece. Mobina has produced many abstract depth-worthy artworks in this series, each carrying a different emotion.

    Mark Rothko is known for presenting emotions through his large-scale artworks, creating a unique blend of colour and spectrum. His language was emotion through colour, and it is said that viewers often felt vulnerable, even moved to tears, while experiencing his works. This subtle language of colour and emotion is a divine experience, with deeper meanings in each stroke and blend of hues. His most famous artworks—a trio of purple-indigo pieces facing each other at the Rothko Chapel—reside permanently there, inviting people to seek enlightening ideologies from their own perspectives.

    Art Work 4. Painting by Mobina Zuberi on hand made Nepalese paper in her recent show 'Fragments of the Unseen'.

    Mobina has made an impact in her own language as well, producing such abstract formations, she has shared a wide array of female anatomy, and in the Artwork 05, the woman is dressed in traditional Pakistani fashion, wearing a kurti and dupatta. With untied hair and a frown, she gazes down at the floor, conveying a sense of relief mingled with fatigue. We can interpret the abstract faces in her artworks that portray her perspective on life.

    Mobina Zuberi's art work

    In no other lifetime but this one, we experience Mobina Zuberi’s perspective and her ability to evoke emotions through colour and texture. We learn to create positive energy through artworks, engaging with and communicating through pigments and textures, blending the poetry of figures with highlights of white on browns. Experiencing her exhibited artworks is a learning curve, aiming to deepen our understanding of life in abstraction while maintaining a sense of warmth and care for life through these immersive pieces.

    Gallery

    Painting by Mobina Zuberi

    Painting by Mobina Zuberi

    Mobina Zuberi's art work


    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