July 09, 2008	Wednesday	Rajab 5, 1429

KARACHI: The painting exhibition of Imran Mir that opened at VM Art Gallery on June 7 can best be described as a journey in aesthetics. His canvases done in acrylic are visual experiences.

There are meticulously and painstakingly done geometrical figures with similar and not too similar figures of varying sizes to balance them. Not for him the concept of art for life’s sake, Imran Mir says, “I don’t pick up my palette to issue political or social statements. Give me the name of one artist whose paintings have changed the world.”

One can dispute his statement but no one can challenge the fact that his exquisite art is only matched by his complete control over his brush. By the same token his skill and craftsmanship is as amazing as his choice of colours and the riveting beauty of his figures.

His kinds of paintings are very demanding in terms of time, which is why the artist, who earned his Master’s in Communication Design at the Ontario College of Art and Design, doesn’t hold shows frequently. Also his responsibilities as the chief executive of a leading advertising agency keeps him busy. Imran Mir’s last solo exhibition was held three years ago at the Pakistan Embassy in Washington DC.

His exhibition, titled Tenth/Eleventh Paper, will continue till July 14 and may well delight the connoisseurs of conceptual art, if one may use the term. –Asif Noorani