May 8, 2004

Reviews two solo shows held in Lahore recently

He doesn’t talk much about his work; is almost reticent. Muhammed Shafiq has been painting for some 35 years. He could be anyone, a wanderer who saunters from the rural to the urban, just looks up at the huge buildings, thinks of those who made them, touches them, filled with humility and awe at the mass, labour and magnificence.

His media comprises watercolour and mixed-media. This he has evolved as a method of mixing oils and watercolour to create an effect that takes his work to an almost romantic dimension, considering that most of the subject matter is historical buildings. Hiran Minar is an example of this; the dense foliage is vague, suggestive and mysterious, the building stands surrounded, the architectural details, intricate and startling, is enhanced by the brush work.

The Tomb of Shah-Rukn-i-Alam is tissues set on paper and then watercoloured, with the surface roughened up, increasing the textured element. The Tomb of Noor Jehan is an attempt to bring back childhood memories of family outings and the fun and frolic that ensued.

“When I exhibited in New Jersey, USA, the mayor, who saw my work, asked me if Lahore was really that beautiful or I just exaggerated it?” Shafiq is one of the many who want recognition, not for themselves, but for the land they call home.

Rohtas Fort is an architectural wonder built in the wilderness, centuries ago. The people who still live there, encroachers or not, the transport, a Dodge bus, a World War relic, all put together, make for a landscape in time and aesthetics. This genre Shafiq paints in mixed-media to freeze the moment in time and satisfy the urge to be a part of history and indulge in the grandeur and magnificence. Another experiment is for Punjab Assembly in which Shafiq added salt with water to create a grainy texture.

Mosques are a symbol of devotion, all walk barefoot in the corridors, the courtyards, and hence Badshahi Mosque, the cool marble slabs that have been polished into a mirror, the decorative, inlay work, twinkling in design, and a look upwards to the resonance of the Azaan, all presenting an interplay of reflections — the ceiling and the floor, the prayer and the solitude.

The artist is a practising architect; hence the subject matter of buildings and similar structures is a natural consequence. Very often variables may be an assets, but in this case, Shafiq’s focus has been narrowed down to keeping these monuments alive as well as eulogizing the worker who passed away unsung. Jehangir and Asif Jah Tombs is the model set against a flat white background, with the architecture and decorative details emerging as the focal point.

A series titled Wazir Khan Mosque, with the monument captured in different angles, is a look at the intricate and time-honoured decorations on the walls and arches. Mohammed Shafiq doesn’t profess to excellence in his own work, but says, “These workers have long gone and their work still lives on.” The show was held at the Nairang Gallery.

Abid Khan has exhibited before, in different cities of Pakistan, though he holds a masters degree in English literature, not in fine arts, because he feels this is his calling and that he will look for and pick up crumbs to satisfy himself. Abid has all the enthusiasm of a child, which is infectious, thus evolving the need to learn and better his skill and thought, with the gentle guide in Professor Khalid Iqbal’s person by his side.

“My mother worries, you know she wants success to come to me soon, but this is a long, trying road; success comes slowly and to a select few.” Like any other painter, he has multiple qualms, more so because he is self-taught and not a graduate from a regular art school.

He started off with pastels, but things took a turn, and now it’s oils that he is more comfortable with. This exhibition of Abid’s work consists of landscapes of the northern areas of Pakistan. He feels that the colours and light change so fast on the snow that the artist is forced to paint the same spot in many singular canvases.

“I find the snow a new subject, since it is not a common occurrence here.” He admits and, at the same time, he is inspired by the work of the post-impressionists, so that’s a natural choice. Abid’s earlier work has more and stronger colour. In the present show, however, it’s the hues that he is more involved with. “These I have painted after my marriage; these are different from the last ones,” he says.

Though one would have easily accepted the opposite, Honeymoon reflects a certain lightheadedness. The work is almost sketchy, the composition becoming interesting with the urgency in the lines of the undulating land and the pause, by the colours of the scant buildings.

After Rain analyzes the presence of colour in the snow; lines curve to keep the composition intact, while Chill Winter Impression is monochromatic and thus restricts the adventurous spirit. Open Air Enjoyment is a stark white bursting, almost in the centre of the canvas; the concern moves from the right foreground towards the low red roof of the building, with a balance of red tires (or circles) in the opposite direction.

Occasionally a student of art finds himself unable to contain the enthusiasm he feels for the great masters and this spills over into his work. Fascination, where thick paint creates turbulent violence in the sky and one tends to pay homage, is one such piece.

Not everyone makes to the top, not everyone sees their names in the neon, but one thing is for sure, everyone starts from the substructure. All art students venture into this field because they cannot deny the urge to express themselves, not realizing that more heartbreak is in store, and as time goes on the dilemma will grow; yet they will all belong to the one world of line, colour, form, skill and thought. In their individuality, they will all be uniform. Alhamra art gallery hosted Abid Khan’s show.