KARACHI: For many an artist, the common man is an enigma. The most intriguing aspect of this enigma, however, is that it does not require unravelling the way, let’s say, the situations he finds himself in do. Rather, augmenting and occasionally diminishing his image serves artists a world of good. Their interpretation of existence through the common man’s prism turns realism into a kind of psychedelic feeling that freshens up the aesthetic side to art. Ahsan Jamal’s new body of work in an exhibition titled Sporadic engagements, which commenced at the Chawkandi Art Gallery on Tuesday, is a fine example of it.

There are a few things to take note of here. The first is the transformation of image within image in a single piece. This can be seen in ‘Guarden’ (gadrung on wasli) which is an artwork that puts a hard fact — the issue of (in)security — alongside the serenity of a green atmosphere. But at the heart of it is the comment on the transient nature of things. No, futility is not his subject. Transience seems to be of more importance to the artist than immortality and mortality.

Then Ahsan, like every creative individual, is interested in history and its many versions. This is not the theme of the show, but ‘National delusion’ (gadrung on wasli) does subtly hint at it.

The most striking blend of Ahsan’s craft and imagination can be seen in ‘The next big thing’ (watercolour on arches paper) and ‘Polythene man’ (watercolour on paper). This is where his study of ordinary lives becomes all the more insightful. He doesn’t try to create extraordinary things out of them; instead, he chooses to turn the instant in which he captures them into an extraordinary moment. Both polythene and the way a young man is showing off the phrase ‘the next big thing’ on his T-shirt in the two paintings respectively, share a modern aspect of existence: packaging.

Sporadic engagements will remain open until Dec 1.

Published in Dawn, November 25th, 2015