Visiting the Nairang Art Gallery in Lahore is invariably an engaging experience. In addition to viewing an ongoing exhibition, there is always the opportunity to see a fascinating collection of craft arts, as well as archives of literature and music. It had been quite a while since one had ventured into this ‘arty’ abode, and this time, it was the exhibition of veteran watercolour artists Abdul Hayee and Pirzada Najam that provided the impetus to visit the gallery.

Both the aforementioned artists are well-known names in their own right and their devotion to the medium of watercolour is the foremost commonality, in addition to both having graduated from the Karachi School of Art more than two decades ago. Najam initially made a name for himself with his small-scaled minimalistic landscapes, while Hayee’s deft but detailed landscapes and seascapes became his signature style.

Over a period of time, Najam’s landscapes opened up in scale though viewers continued to cherish his earlier style as well. Some years ago one witnessed him experimenting with abstraction in watercolours, creating large to medium-sized works with spontaneous outbursts of rich hues in his typical ‘wet-on-wet’ watercolour technique.

This time, the artist has focused more on creating texture through a variety of techniques, though one does find examples of the latter manner of working as well. Nonetheless the discourse appears to be primarily kinaesthetic, and almost like that of a young child experimenting with the medium after having been taught some tricks of the trade. This ‘youthfulness’ is nonetheless bogged down by the sombre choice of colours, with the dark and mottled hues becoming almost depressing, indicating that a prevalent dark mood may have nonetheless engulfed the otherwise unfettered approach.

Hayee also wants to free himself from the constraints of representative depictions, and ‘on the spot’ realism, letting his brush loose and experimenting with colours in a spontaneous way. The past experience of painting landscapes, in an obscure way, enters into the compositions, especially in the choice of leafy greens, ochre and yellows and also in the shapes which are reminiscent of flora and fauna.

Interestingly, both artists had put up one painting each which depicted their more realistic style of rendering, almost as if to reassure the typical Lahori viewer of their artistic credentials. Abstract art may appear to be an ‘easy’ option to some, but the fact is that it takes a delicate balance of skill and intuitive ability to create abstractions that can move the mind and soul of a discerning viewer.

As for the present exhibition, the impact was that of having viewed a ‘works in progress’ or primarily technique-oriented experimental discourse. Knowing the potential and experience of the artists, this recent prolific output should ideally be more of a stepping stone towards more engaging esoteric forms of expression, if of course; the artists want to arrive at the high standards set by their previous, more realistic work. The important thing to ponder upon is what is it that comes more naturally and only the artist can really know what that is at a given point in time.