Written by: Varda Nisar
Posted on: April 12, 2019 | 
| 中文
Untitled by Wajahat Ali
A junction is best understood as a meeting point, where places, roads and people intersect and come together. Going by this description, the title of ‘Lahore Junction,’ currently on view at the V.M. Art Gallery, and curated by the brother-sister duo Adnan Mairaj and Sophia Mairaj, accurately captures the essence of the exhibition. With both curators’ artists themselves, who are also associated with National College of Arts (NCA), it is not surprising to see that their curatorial project explores the current work of their peers and colleagues, who, like them, have been on a journey of the self.
A junction, however, has its own dynamics; a meeting point invariably brings together people from various places, with diverse experiences and their own unique narratives and expertise. Trying to find a sense of cohesiveness is therefore always a challenge, but it is here that the curators’ vision becomes the strength of the show. The show is described by them as a mix of 25 artists “coming from different cities of Pakistan and working in diverse mediums,” where the work is meant to show the journey that these artists have been on, during their Masters Degree in Visual Arts at the NCA.
The show is massive in terms of the numbers of works on display, spread across the three gallery rooms. One can find every nature of work within the space – from the more experimental to traditional paintings, from digital to sculptural. However, as is always the case with shows of such nature, there are some works that stand out more than others, due to their refined voice and usage of material.
One of the pieces truly able to capture the artistic journey of these young artists is the work of Sophia Mairaj. Her two canvases, painted in grey tones, depicting figures and silhouettes, take over two whole walls of the gallery. They are a study in technique and the strength of the artist’s thought process. The same can also be said about Zaman Baloch, whose work reminds one of folktales. With the ochre tone of the background, and figures which remind one of Mohen-jo-Daro, his work seems to be exploding with stories that just need to be told. Wajahat Ali too has developed his own style, which makes his work stand out. Using invisible ink and digital print, his technique explores clichés within our socio-political discourses and presents a commentary. In one of the works, two soldiers, belonging to India and Pakistan stand facing each other in what has become one of the iconic stances from the daily display of strength and masculinity at the border. But when one puts a torch to the image, you can see scenes of overfilled trains, which bring to mind the many such trains that crossed the borders in 1947 and became sites of massacres. Adnan Mairaj’s work also deserves mention here, which explores urban development via text, images and drawing.
The exploration of techniques and the use of materials is another focus of the show. In this regard, Rida Zainab’s “As long as it goes” comes forth as a strong piece. With a ruler facing the viewer, and a mirror at the back side reflecting images of urban activity, the work talks about development and chaos. Aneela Ansari’s “Mirror Mirror on the Wall” takes broken pieces of a mirror and puts it back together on a canvas, with blank spaces in between, thus reflecting an incomplete picture of the self. Sehr Jalil’s use of the rosary in her work is well-linked with the personal narrative that she is bringing forth. The use of wax to spell out the words “Humanity” by Arshia Sohail, testifies to the efforts of artists who make statements about the world around us through their choice of materials. Another artist who has also explored wax is Yasir Azeem – with three works on display, it is hard to tell whether they are a single body of work, or are a reflection of the artist’s growth. While two of the works are abstract, the third piece depicts people’s faces in a seal like form.
Many of the artists and works, however, still seem to be in the midst of finding an effective voice. For example, Buland Iqbal’s “Zaati Jung” is a digital print, set in a traditional wrestling pit, showing a man in a struggle with his own self. The work is captivating, where the tones and the overall composition leave an impression on the viewer about the maturity of the artist’s expression. However, the same intensity is lost in his other piece, an oil painting titled “Dreamers.” While both pieces talk about the self, one is hard pressed to understand how the artist has evolved in terms of his subject matter.
What might have helped in further understanding the evolution of these artists, is if the year in which the works were produced was mentioned. The show is an exploration of a wide variety of talents and techniques, and in this regard, is a commendable venture.
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