ISLAMABAD: A joint exhibition by Masood A. Khan and Ubaid Syed was inaugurated on Thursday by Swedish Ambassador Ingrid Johansson.

Ambassador Johansson, while speaking at the exhibition opening at the Nomad Art and Culture Centre, called both artists’ works outstanding and said they depict the life and landscape of Pakistan and Scandinavia in a powerful manner.

“I am by no means an art expert or enthusiast,” she said, “But I enjoy art for myself as it reflects my inner feelings.” She added that both artists were similar in their depictions of rural life, household objects and landscapes.

Over 20 pieces by both artists are exhibited at Nomad, and Ubaid Syed’s ‘Midnight Sun’ series in acrylic and oil pastel on canvas and Masood Khan’s ‘Safarnama’ and ‘Dupehar’ series and ‘Jan Pehchan’, ‘Anjam-i-Safar’ and ‘Rishta Ehsas Ka’ in ink on paper are outstanding.

In her introductory remarks Nageen Hyat, Nomad’s founder said: “The recent works of the two visionary artists are an incomparable testimony to the marvels of art, of seeing and of the existence of everything as rudimentary as household objects, interior spaces and nature’s splendour awash with colour in stunning brush strokes.”

Mr Khan said his recent work was a continuation of his past 30 appearances at galleries in Pakistan and abroad. “At each appearance, I adopted a new vocabulary to paint the essence of truth with lines and layers,” he said.

His works emphasise the simplicity and joy of spiritual content versus the contemporary situation with all its perils. His translucent objects behind the wall interior of a house in 3-D are outstanding, commented Najam Kazmi, an artist.

“As the transparency is the quintessence of reality, it remains constant on my surfaces,” Mr Khan explained, adding that he tries to express reality through a combination of realism with modernism.

“I feel a new liberty when the beauty of every form is clear, visible and not overlapping each other; that creates a multidimensional view,” he said, adding: “I don’t need to distort the natural forms as done in cubism and other genres of arts.

Khan says he has externalised his outrage at the hypocrisy – religious, social, economic – that cloaks and disguises our true intentions.

Mr Syed’s paintings are inspired by Lapland in Sweden and Narwik in Norway, depicting the many colours the Scandinavian landscape provide. He said Lapland, in the far north of Sweden, and Narvik – inside the Arctic Circle – are the lands of eight seasons and midnight sun.

He had beautifully depicted the midnight sun, a phenomenon that occurs in the summer months in places north of the Arctic or south of the Antarctic circles, when the sun is visible at midnight.

“Midsummer night at Lapland and Narvik with their beauty and diversity have infinite subject matter for an artist,” the Pakistani-origin Swedish artist said. “They offer a symphony accenting contrasts and bring a variety of forms and colours from an almost divinely inspired palette of light and shade.”

“Artists need to undermine their own nature, comprehend the grand design that is manifested in all the creation and creatures. They need to decompose themselves to penetrate the visible surface and then transform their feelings into images,” he said.

Published in Dawn, April 27th, 2018