Group show: A mixed artistic bag

Published September 13, 2014
Rhetoric, Rabia Yaseen
Rhetoric, Rabia Yaseen

The monsoon is back and with it are art activities that had gone into dormancy thanks to the scorching summer. The College of Art and Design of the University of the Punjab, in collaboration with the Lahore College for Women University, organised an exhibition of paintings, prints and sculpture at the Alhamra Art Galleries. Faculty members and senior students of masters in fine arts participated in this group show, which displayed a variety of themes and styles under one roof. Well-known academician and cartoonist Dr Shaukat Mahmood; better known as ‘Maxim,’ inaugurated the show.

There were variegated artworks, covering the walls of the huge gallery, including abstract, semi-abstract, realistic, thematic and conceptual styles whereas the techniques of oil painting, acrylics, ballpoint pen, photo-etching, aquatint (a print resembling a watercolour that is made by etching a copper plate with nitric acid and using resin and varnish to produce areas of tonal shading), textile and wood carving were the evident manifestation.


An exhibition covering a variety of themes and styles


One abstract painting with some writing around it was captivating. The artist, with a real play of grey and white, along with few tinges of red and orange, created a non-representational frame. It shows the mature observation and strong feelings of the artist that he or she needs for the perfect execution.

On the other side, a young painter focused on the close up shapes that he observed; created by ordinary body parts like a thumb clasped tightly in fingers or two feet juxtaposed firmly together and the space in between. These images on a large-scale created a suggestive appearance related to some other parts of body and a visual feel that could be associated to human sensuality.

Along with the painters, who work on diverse themes and styles, the printmakers performed at par with the heartfelt experiences of life. A series of prints based on the inspiration of the Lansdowne Bridge Rohri (Sindh); completed in 1889, during the British colonial period, represented the solid and metallic connotation for the vulnerable yet delicate emotional life. The artist under the title of ‘Suspense in suspension’ related the small bolts used in assembling the gigantic bridge structure to the tiny affairs of life that actually strengthen social life and human bonding.

Art as a means to explore self-identity has never been out of the mainstream trends in visual arts. Since centuries, self-portraits have remained popular among the artists. With the passage of time, the techniques and materials have changed and evolved substantially. In this exhibition, two artworks based on self-portraiture in different and non-conventional mediums were mounted; a self-portrait woven on a hand-loom into the tapestry of wool and cotton yarn and another in a black-and-white photograph, etched with repeated piercing by the needle. Under the theme of perforation, this work was linked with the pains and agonies of life; pricking one’s identity repeatedly, like needles or thorns.

An installation with broken and hollow figurine-like sculptures allured many eyes. The charcoal black appearance of this body of work was absorbing enough to entice the onlooker directly. The small effigies, symbolically advocated the hollowness and fragility the human kind is subjected to, emotionally as well as physically.

This exhibition provided the young artists with the opportunity to display their work with the established artists. By doing this, not only they learnt the art and technique of displaying their work, but also acquired the correct attitude as professional artists; a role that they would have to play in near future.

Moreover, there were few artworks in this show exhibited already at some other place and point of time. The young professionals should make sure that they should always prefer their fresh artwork over the one displayed earlier.

Published in Dawn, Sunday Magazine, September 14th, 2014

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