KARACHI: Man and nature cannot be separated. But is that the case for someone who’s lived in an urban setting, with wonders of technology all around them? The answer is yes and no. Nature makes a human being’s journey as flesh and blood a less philosophical undertaking. And urbanity opens new vistas for a creative mind to explore. This is what artist Mujtaba Asif is trying to achieve by creating a modern world and what constitutes it with the caveat that we need to be careful about losing sight of our instinctive selves. An exhibition of his artworks titled Time to Navigate at the Canvas Gallery, which is going to conclude on April 18 in collaboration with Vasl Artists’ Association, is a stark reminder to us of how important it is to strike a balance between a constructed environment and an organic one.

The clue to Asif’s idealistic drift, which by the way is marked by finesse and precision, is in the statement that he’s submitted for the viewer — it is pretty poetic as well.

I’m a human being
Why do not you accept it?
I want to live
Why do not you let me live?
I want to celebrate every moment of life
I want to feel the smoothness of new and old leaves of the rose
I wish my skin to be wrapped on its stem, so tightly, so generously...

These words clearly suggest the artist’s longing for things with strong tactile sense. But looking at his work, for example ‘Panzer Temple’ and ‘Sherman Amusement Park’ (UV print on acid free paper) or for that matter the ‘Apartment’ series (hammer, automotive paint and hardener on acid free paper) may give the impression that he wants the viewer to prefer the visual to the tactile. The fact is that both senses work seamlessly together as if they serve the same purpose. This is a very interesting approach to art. One that must be appreciated.

Published in Dawn, April 18th, 2019