July 20, 2002

Misty-eyed, Shahnaz Imam smiles bravely, bracing herself for the future. She has taken charge of Indus Gallery, as its doors open to visitors once again, says Salwat Ali

Walking in the footsteps of her late husband and carrying his legacy forward may not be as daunting a task as Shahnaz Imam imagines. Ali Imam’s incisive acumen may be inimitable but then her deep intuitive feel for art is going to be a strong guiding force. Moreover, having worked behind the scenes for 32 long years, assisting her husband in every possible way, she is fully conversant with the mechanics of running a gallery.

Behind Shahnaz’s gentle manner and soft-spoken demeanour is a wealth of knowledge about art, artists and artistic developments in Pakistan. Her discourse is tempered with the visionary outlook of her husband and she seems to observe and analyze everything through his eyes. A small group of devoted friends with a deep grounding in the arts will be lending her essential support and backup regarding gallery operations.

Now the focus is on keeping Indus alive and thriving just as the maestro himself would have wanted it to be. The gallery’s heyday as a cerebral hub and a springboard to the modernist movement here has earned it the legendary status it has. It has found its due space in the pages of art history of Pakistan. By making the gallery functional once again, Shahnaz Imam will be endeavouring to keep its intrinsic spirit alive. Art and artists reflecting Ali Imam’s ideology will be the subject of a significant collective show, which is being planned in the near future as a tribute to the eminent painter.

Presently, Indus is featuring a random selection of works by senior, established and upcoming artists. Among the masters, two pen and ink studies by Sadequain can be a point of interest. The figurative expression is easily identifiable as is the calligraphy.

However, the script has been rendered on a synthetic base, like a plastic sheet, from which it has been cut out and pasted in columnar form onto the original sketch. Definitely an oddity whose “why did he do it?” will remain unexplained as neither the artist or the gallerist are among us to answer the query. But knowing Sadequain’s erratic nature, one can attribute it to a quirky gesture at a moment in time.

Zahoorul Akhlaq’s orange scripted scrawl in his signature style hang next to the Sadequains and quite a few of Mashkoor Raza’s works could be easily spotted around the gallery. Raza’s work belongs to his purely cubist phase when he was spacing bold primary hues between fragmented white-on-white arrangements.

The entrance wall displays some engaging pieces by Moeen Farooqi; his narratives on the complexities of urban life demand intelligent viewership. Perhaps the same can be said about Tasadaq Sohail, whose Heaven and Hell series quizzed the average viewer forcing him to either accept or reject his work.

On display now at Indus are three fresh works by the artist, and there is a difference, the mini format of his previous works has given way to a somewhat larger scale. He has moved from the elves and goblins and dark somber pits of ‘hell’ to areas of light and open spaces, but it is basically the colours, the glowing reds, yellows and greens that attract the eye and jog the memory, reminding one that the artist is hitting new notes.

Elusive artist Ajmal Hussain has many stylistic treatments to his credit. Three small pieces on display next to the gallery staircase, remind one that he is an emphatic colourist and an abstractionist of the old guard tradition. An instinctive painter, he relies on colour and natural elements to express his oeuvre. The end-product is his very own mix of traditions from the West and the East.

Among the younger artists, Scharjeel is one of the Indus favourites. He is endeavouring to formulate a personal expression. In Two Pigeons, he strives to give a different look to a cliched theme through innovative use of texture.

Shahzad Zar is also a recent Indus protege. His specialty is crafting a painting through dried leaves, which he collects over a period of time. Kufic script cutouts of treated leaves are arranged in different compositions. His two works on display these days show an improvement in his composition sense.

Artist Hanif Shahzad’s name is synonymous with meticulous collage work in which he aims for representational clarity through minute detailing. However, his watercolours at Indus do not carry the same impact.

Semi-urban street scenes, corners or alleyways painted in bold literal expression by an artist simply called Ilyas pique one’s interest. A confident approach and a good knowledge of stroke sense is visible in the work of this artist. Shahnaz Imam revealed that at one point in time he was a mere wall-painter but encouragement and personal drive have worked wonders with his style. Now, with two solo exhibition to his credit he continues to paint and exhibit at Indus.

Artist Qudsia Nisar seems to have moved on from her Footprint series. On display at Indus are some fresh works with a new motive weaving through her watercolours. Nahid Raza, Tabinda Chinoy, Shazly Khan, are among some of the other women painters, whose recent paintings adorn the gallery walls. With new galleries appearing and disappearing from the scenes it is the stable and established art spaces that will give sustenance to the art climate here, and it is good to know that Indus Gallery will continue to play its role in the developing art scenario here.