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    Art Review: Iqbal Hussain - A Retrospective at Tanzara Gallery

    Written by: Nayha Jehangir Khan
    Posted on: November 15, 2018 | | 中文

    Sheena by Iqbal Hussain

    Tanzara Art Gallery, nestled in the narrow busy street of Saidpur Village, has brought Iqbal Hussain’s works to the capital for many years. Mr. John Wall, former country director of World Bank Pakistan, is generously showcasing his personal collection of Hussain’s works at the gallery. Over the decades, his relationship with the artist has been that of a supportive patron. Through this collection, we can panoramically glance at thirty years of Hussain’s life as an artist. The retrospective includes oil sketches, lino cut and etching, watercolours and a variety of oil on canvas and board. The exhibition is a real treat for any viewer looking to understand the versatility and whimsical transitional silhouettes in a painting practice.

    Owner of Tanzara Gallery Noshi Qadir, Mr John Wall and Ms. Susan Hirshberg

    (L-R) Owner of Tanzara Gallery Noshi Qadir, Mr John Wall and Ms. Susan Hirshberg

    Hussain’s paintings have a diverse collection of strong female protagonists, reminiscent of many Rabindranath Tagore stories. There are cinematic similarities between the two artists, both depicting South Asian women facing trial and tribulation, indifference and complacency at the hands of an amoral, unforgiving society - Tagore being literary and Hussain being visual. These women in Hussain’s works are being painted in rooms separated, even if momentarily, from their environment to become his painting subjects. The simple play of light and shadow in these works suggests a singular light source, maybe a window or a doorway, creating an immediacy and intimacy between the painter and his subject. There are unresolved compositions and unfinished areas on canvas, yet again bringing an urgency to capture the subject, in what might be one sitting pose.

    Honour by Iqbal Hussain

    Honour by Iqbal Hussain

    Self-portrait with muse by Iqbal Hussain

    Self-portrait with muse by Iqbal Hussain

    Part of the collection is from the 90s, with figures painted in oil on paper, showing a younger Hussain using gestural line work, along with a vibrant psychedelic colour palette. His practice, much like a swinging pendulum, moves from the neon frenzy of colour during the 90s to cardinal vintage hues in the early 2000s. The loud and violent noise of the streets behind the women he had painted in the 90s, fade into the background as we enter the 2000s. Subtle strokes of paint create a complex figurative narrative through women gazing back at the viewer, or by a suggestive male subject included into the composition as seen in the painting “Reflection.” A larger oil painting titled “Self Portrait with Muse” has Hussain posing with a paint brush and cloth rag in hand, next to a female subject, both gazing out of the canvas at the viewer; the painting is resolved as the detailing and perspective drawing feels premeditated along with its use of light. Unlike traditional and predictable visual representation of women found in the history of art, the women in these works are not awaiting salvation.  They are not assigned the role of the virtuous figure of liberty, responsible for upholding the morals of society. In fact, they are found idly resting, as the world goes on around them.

    Waiting by Iqbal Hussain

    Waiting by Iqbal Hussain

    The retrospective includes Hussain’s watercolour paintings from 2011 onwards. These works, such as one titled ‘Waiting,’ are gentle, kind and fleeting in their execution. From a distance, similar to an old washed out sepia photograph from the 50s, these watercolour paintings are a culmination of having witnessed and observed women for decades. He carefully draws on his own painterly vocabulary, creating images that are compositionally balanced, without compromising the authenticity of his subjects. Hussain champions the women living on the fringes and peripheries of our society, without idealizing their bodies. He is creating a painting practice that communicates presence of his subject, while maintaining spatial realism of colour and form. His work is impressionistic, yet not belonging to the tradition of “Impressionism,” since there is a localization and familiarity to his works that can be found on dimly lit street corners, neighbourhoods and a plethora of backroom conversations. We are not gazing at these subjects and into their spaces but in fact, we as the viewer, are being invited into the space through the subject’s gaze.

    Hussain counters mainstream decorative Pakistani art with these confrontational women in their casual bedside mannerism. He expands our figurative vocabulary, by allowing women to direct their own tableaus, while he is merely a witness to the moment they share amongst themselves or with their environment.

    Invitation by Iqbal Hussain

    Invitation by Iqbal Hussain

    Click to view picture gallery


    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