March 29, 2008

Naz Ikramullah’s work can be interpreted on diverse levels; philosophical, social, psychological, yet it is a personal expression of a deeply feeling, creative artist. The work of Amin-ur-Rahman is startling in its contrast to the quiet contemplation of Ikramullah, writes Marjorie Husain.

Continuing a contemplation of her life lived in several capital cities of the world, Naz Ikramullah synthesises and manipulates images in a communication of art traditions and technologies. She, herself, is the central subject of her work, ever present in a fragmentation that moves beyond the visual illusion.

At a two-artist exhibition shared with Canada-based Amin-ur-Rehman and mounted at Chawkandi Art Gallery in Karachi, Ikramullah offers the viewer nostalgic glimpses of times past, memories of people and places important in her life, though no longer with her. The work is expressed with the experience and intuition of an artist who adapted to different cultures while retaining a personal and sensitive identity.

Observing the work, one at times senses a withdrawal, as grid patterns create a feeling of ‘separation’— rather like looking through a window as a voyeur. ‘My World’ is a glimpse of the artist’s aesthetic autobiography. It contains nuances of cultural individuality in the surroundings; landscape, motifs, architecture, windows and doors. Figures that appear surrounding the subject are ethereal, windblown, and almost transparent;  emphasising the element of ‘otherworldliness’ one finds in the artist’s work.

Incorporating photography,  coloured Xerox, and painting in her imagery, Ikramullah creates a pastiche of moods and feelings. Images created with Photoshop technique are stimulating — providing the artist with intriguing possibilities. In retrospect it is a quiet, contemplative body of work, with each art piece linked by the aura of wistfulness — almost yearning that the artist maintains throughout the collection encompassing work of several years.

It is an exercise in ‘looking back’ in time as Ikramullah records her observations in a romantic rather than a literal idiom. The work can be interpreted on diverse levels; philosophical, social, psychological, yet it is a personal expression of a deeply feeling, creative artist.

Born in London, Ikramullah grew up in an environment that supported her keen interest in art. She began her art training at the Byam Shaw School of Art, followed by a course of study at the Regent Street Polytechnic, where she studied sculpture. In the sixties she attended the Slade School of Art, where Colin David was a fellow student, followed by post-graduate studies in printmaking. In 1967 she attended a printmaking workshop set up in Karachi by Michael Ponce de Leon, who was visiting Karachi from the Pratt Institute, USA.

Ikramullah has spent her married life in Canada, where she taught painting and printmaking at the Ottawa School of Art. She maintained her links with Pakistan by regular visits exhibiting her work here. Exhibitions of her work have also mounted in Delhi, Bombay, and in Canada. Now spending the winter months in Karachi, the artist is very much part of the art happenings in the city.

The work of Amin-ur-Rahman is startling in its contrast to the quiet contemplation of Ikramullah. His work, displayed in three sequences, is bold, current and electrifying in its expression. Rahman, who has exhibited his work in many parts of the world, is the son of the Pakistan’s master miniature painter Ustad Bashiruddin, and his early years were spent in Lahore. His art training encompasses the Punjab University, NCA, Lahore, Manchester University UK, as well as further studies in the USA and Canada. In his first art exhibition mounted in Karachi, Rahman described the motivation addressing his work: “My art practice is an exploration and expression of the effects of trans-nationalism and globalisation in the world today. My work is informed by my experiences as a Pakistani expatriate living in Canada, yet contemplates the worldwide implications of aggressive globalisation.”

The sequences on display were: Market Values, encaustic, mixed media works of tremendous strength. The black and white symbolic ships, ‘icons of aggressive globalisation’, appear to be heading out of the frame full speed towards the observer. These  were painted in a spontaneous, heavily textured and riveting style. The most recent series ‘Final Hours’, repeated the jargon that has become meaningless through over familiarity, “euphemistic words and media phases.”

The double  hung vinyl texts, words in English and Urdu, created a pattern representative of the world around us. The third series, ‘Shop Front’, comprised a sequence of images that the artists intended to symbolise the growing gap between the ‘haves and have nots’. The glass barrier between the glamorous costumes decorating elite shop windows, and the outside window shoppers, noses pressed against the glass. These colourful, beautifully rendered pieces were ultimately a visual pleasure to behold, acting as a relief from the pressing realities we are all so aware of.