KARACHI: No matter how apolitical or anti-social they are, modern-day artists find it very difficult to detach themselves from what society throws at them on a regular basis. This blurs the line between the personal and the societal.

A two-person exhibition, interestingly titled ‘When I Wake Up in the Morning… Seeds Scatter’ that commenced at the Art Chowk Gallery on Wednesday evening is a show that lends credence to the above-mentioned observation.

The participating artists Rabeya Jalil and Nurayah Sheikh raise the very important, and oft-discussed, question of identity not because they wish to put labels on things, but in order to discover the ‘self’ and the ‘other’ by virtue of the subtle process of unmasking.

Rabeya impresses with her uninhibited use of images. It’s such a delight to see how an artist organically turns life into an art… that surpasses life. The first exhibit ‘Water’ (collagraph, paper, chine cole on paper) compels the viewer to spend time with the artwork and try to unravel it. Once the piece ‘Home on Legs’ (collagraph, chine cole, emboss print on paper) comes into view, with legs being the focus of attention not as a symbol but as an object that reveals and conceals identity at the same time, things begin to sink in. She is teasing the viewer, successfully.

The artist’s intent becomes clearer as exhibits like ‘Qurbani Ka Bakra, Aasteen Ka Saanp’ and ‘The Superstitious Black Cat’ hint at the sociological drift of the artworks, hinting at the shortcomings in our society that all of us are aware of. Her tour de force in the show, however, is ‘Days in a Calendar’ (collagraph, chine cole, screen print on paper). It’s art talking to life.

Nurayah pushes the debate further and diversifies the technical prowess of the exhibition. The artist’s wood cut artworks, especially the ‘Page in My Diary’ series (wood cut pressure print on Somerset) are a cerebrally stimulating visual treat.

‘When I Wake Up in the Morning’ will be open till May 7.