KARACHI: When it comes to message-oriented art, communication is key. And if communication can be done with aesthetic grace, it turns into a doubly delighted experience. This experience can be had at the Koel Art Gallery where an exhibition of Saba Qizilbash’s drawings is under way.

The title of the show is By Land. Though it may not sound like a rubric that can take the viewer by surprise, however, it does, and pleasantly. The reason is: land signifies a one-dimensional subject, and Saba’s drawings are anything but one-dimensional, subject wise. In fact, the artist touches upon an issue which is multilayered. It is to do with the use of land in terms of drawing a line, literally, between those who inhabit it. It becomes evident from the ‘Surveillance’ series (graphite and acrylic wash on paper mounted on board), the first set of exhibits on view. Saba’s work, therefore, has strong geopolitical connotations.

The geopolitical connotations get accentuated in pieces such as ‘Intra Punjab (graphite and acrylic on watercolour board)’ and the ‘Location’ series (graphite and wash on paper). The locations that the artist is referring to are the places that are accessible but carry a great deal of psychosocial baggage.

At the heart of it all is Saba’s fine, fine art. Her lines are pronounced and strong. They, so to speak, move so tightly together that the viewer gets the impression as if they signify convoluted growth. Well, there’s a hint of symbolism in it. What does it symbolise? Answer: the complexity of the issue that prompts the artist to draw, without compromising clarity of thought. Add to it her ability to make greyness (as in, the colour grey) a potent force to tell sensitive stories with and you get artworks worth appreciating and mulling over.

The exhibition will run until April 21.

Published in Dawn, April 13th, 2017