LAHORE, May 20: A three-day group show of artworks titled ‘Here and Now’ by five artists, two from Karachi and three from Lahore, opened at the Lahore Art Gallery on Lawrence Road here on Monday.

A number of art enthusiasts, students from different art institutions and art collectors visited the exhibition.

The artists who have displayed their works in the exhibition are: Muhammad Ali Talpur, Hasnat Mehmood and Nausheen Saeed from Lahore and Zeeshan Muhammad and Adeela Suleman from Karachi. All these artists have a rich background in the field of arts and have exhibited their works both at national and international levels.

The huge space and lush green lawns make the Lahore Art Gallery one of the most attractive and the finest places in the city when it comes to organize an exhibition of artworks.

The exhibition has been put in order well as each artist is displaying his artworks in a separate room.

The participating artists, besides working in their studios, are also working as art educationists and currently Mohammad Ali Talpur, Hasnat Mehmood and Nausheen Saeed are teaching at the National College of Arts in Lahore while Adeela Suleman and Zeeshan Muhammad at the Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture in Karachi.

The wholesome image of the works put on display by the artists makes a collage that depicts different aspects of works. The works reflect the ideas, concerns, and issues of our times, as well as a new vocabulary of art, which is international besides being focused on the local situation.

Mohammad Ali Talpur’s works on paper and canvas invite viewer’s attention. His works have a sublime sensation through the intersection of lines and interaction of tones.

Hasnat Mehmood, in his finely-rendered images derived from art history, comments upon the changing world and the impact of globalization in its aftermath.

The global and local elements are found in the works of Zeeshan Muhammad too, in which the artist by recreating popular sacred imagery, connects it to the glorious tradition of miniature art through an emphasis on delicate marks defined painted areas. His works also have strong references on mysticism and spiritualism.

In Adeela Suleman’s works, history is invoked to convey current conditions. In her mixed media sculpture on one of the gallery walls along with a painted sculpture, she creates the scene of medieval war.

The use of fighting soldiers and other details brings -- as well as bridges the gap between times and links violence of present to the violence of the past. Nausheen Saeed in her fiberglass sculptures, blends the woman’ body with the shopping bag, thus suggesting the status and state of female being a commodity in our society.

The exhibition will continue till June 22 from 11am to 7pm except Sundays and public holidays.