ISLAMABAD: A huge collection of paintings, including the works of Sadequain and Jamil Naqsh, went on display at an art bazaar hosted by Gallery 6 on Sunday.

The art bazaar is held each year in March during which artworks are offered at discounted prices of up to 70pc. The exhibition also marks the gallery’s ninth anniversary.

Organisers of the show said it is hard to characterize the kind of works on display due to the diversity in form, composition, concept and technique.

“The paintings are in oils, acrylics, water colours and mixed mediums. They include realistic works, figurative work, landscapes, expressionism, surrealism and abstract paintings, all dealing with either aesthetics or various personal, social, cultural, political and even issues related to climate change,” said the curator of the show, Dr Faisal Arjumand Faisal.

The realistic paintings in the show explore the various themes of life and routine with truthful and accurate depiction and pay attention to accuracy of detail and colour.

The figurative works, in different styles, depict a wide variety of treatments while the landscapes present scenes from rural Punjab and Sindh with various light effects and city scenes from Karachi, Rawalpindi and Lahore. These depict varying technique, treatment and styles.

The abstract paintings in the show are both small and large scale compositions done in various materials and have effects of chemicals on gold and silver leaf. The compositions have interesting surfaces and textures. Several miniatures are also included in the show and are the works of emerging artists.

Visitors to the show were equally drawn to the large collection of beautifully composed scripts including drawings, prints, sculptures, carvings, ceramics and terra cotta pieces.

“The exhibition offers a lot of artworks to choose from. One can invest in an emerging artist’s work or add those by a renowned artist to their art collection,” said Imran Khalid, a visitor the show.

The show includes works by late artists including Mansoor Aye and Rahim Nagori as well as those by renowned painters like Mansoor and Hajra Rahi and Rashid Arshad.

Published in Dawn, March 13th, 2017