A show at the Full Circle Gallery in Karachi features paintings by Dr Syed Ali Wasif, which he claims are born from a sort of refuge in meditation, music and dance that subsequently inspire the visuals of these works and become “an escapist approach or a battle with blues of melancholia.” These heavily stylised figurative works are steeped in symbolism and draw on concepts and gestures of Kathak dance to access ideas of spirituality.

The term “Kathak” is derived from the Sanskrit word katha, which means “story” and kathaka which means “the one who tells a story” or “to do with stories.” The classical dance form uses movement, gestures, costume and make-up, etc. to tell a story veiled in symbolism. Similarly, apart from the visual imagery itself, the essence of Kathak is also embedded in the artist’s paintings.

Dr Wasif’s visual style subscribes to a Modernist sensibility, which in certain works seems to be derived from Sadequain’s distorted and exaggerated figures. He talks about the ‘Dancing Girl’ statuette of Moenjodaro, drawing inspiration from her distorted body proportions, and one can see the silhouette of her head in a lot of his figures. However, the body is a lot more exaggerated with grotesquely bloated hands and feet and a small head that sits atop a disproportionately large body. The treatment of the forms — and in certain cases, the elements incorporated into the background — is reminiscent of Sadequain’s signature stylisation, with narrow frames, elongated extremities, small heads and wavering outlines. This is most evident in ‘Dancing Girl Under The Moonlight Night’ and ‘Terracotta Girl 1’ and to a certain degree in ‘Kharee Neem Ke Neechay Aklee — Endless Waiting.’

Syed Ali Wasif draws on the concept of Kathak dance to produce stylised works of spritual thought

In other works, one can see elements of Bashir Mirza’s later period, specifically his ‘The Lonely Girl’ series. However, here Dr Wasif perhaps treads a bit closer to reality — with bodily proportions not as exaggerated as in other works — while still remaining a great distance from it, choosing to stylise facial features and the body into a more simplified form. The rich hues of the costumes, jewellery, make-up and henna, are for the most part, treated in one tone, with shades added in places purely for the purpose of providing a sense of weight and volume. These works also have a stronger sense of myth and wonder and the visuals take inspiration from Hindu culture. These elements are present in pieces such as ‘Naina Thag Langey,’ ‘Naina Day Teer,’ and ‘Garaj Garaj Ghirr Aye Badal.’

While the works quite obviously depict the art of dance and present it as a mode of meditation and spirituality, there are other symbolic narratives that can be easily extracted from the works. The artist explains some of the symbolic motifs incorporated into the works: “The full moon is a feminine symbol which is a universal representation of the rhythm of time as it embodies its cycle; the phases of the moon symbolise immortality and eternity and enlig­htenment or also the dark side of nature; a desert with an arid environment and mountains symbolises obstacles; whereas climbing over one or passing through a range indicates overcoming obstacles or making progress.”

Climbing mountains or other heights often indicates spiritual mental “rising” or improvement. And rivers, ponds and oceans represent different aspects of spiritual life and humanity. Lotus flowers are symbolic of struggle and resilience — anybody who has ever observed a lotus flower emerging from a murky pond cannot fail to see the beauty of this exquisite plant.

Thus, the works become a narrative for overcoming adversity and the resilience to thrive through this adversity, overcoming obstacles by accessing the inner self and finding peace through spiritual release. While these themes emerge from a personal space, they can be applied to universal concepts, and to society at large. The use of the female form, along with the feminine form of the rounded moon, allow for an alternate reading of the plight of women in society and their undying resilience, like a lotus that blooms in muddy waters.

“Music and Muse” was on display at the Full Circle Gallery in Karachi from March 22 to March 31, 2018

Published in Dawn, EOS, April 22nd, 2018