Islamabad: An exhibition of landscapes by Dr Masooma Abbas titled Pensive Nature was opened by Federal Ombudsperson Kashmala Tariq at the National Art Gallery on Thursday.

The chief guest, who was an hour late, praised Dr Abbas’ work in her speech, remarking on her use of nature as a metaphor defining life and its transition, taking refuge in colours.

Dr Abbas told Dawn that she was been painting landscapes for five years after a long pause. She said she was inclined towards Islamic spiritualism and mysticism using bright acrylic colours and trees.

The aim of the exhibition is to generate positivity in society, bring the viewer in close proximity to the beauty, philosophical and intellectual content of nature and its Creator as in ‘Hope Visualised’ and ‘Glimpse of Delight’.

In ‘Transcendental Growth’ Dr Abbas has depicted the transition of life. “It is in fact depiction of self, growth of spirituality in which the green colour symbolises faith of Islam and the light cloudy colour depicts hail and rain as a blessing descending upon me,” she explained.

In ‘Verisimilitude’, three bamboo trees in Chinese art symbolise life, health and wealth while the flower which, according to Chinese legend blooms once in 60 to 100 years, depicts the end of life. In ‘Oblivion’, the blue and yellow-ish cloud and poppy flower depict intellectual numbness.

Dr Abbas is a visual artist, researcher and art historian and did her postdoctoral fellowship at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

Talking about her work, symbolism, and mysticism, she said nature has always inspired her. “I always depict nature through symbolic themes and a variety of colours,” she said.

She was also inspired by the Chinese philosophy of nature, and the search for meaning in every element and colour of nature. She used soothing green and blue in her work to symbolise purity, hope and spirituality.

Dr Abbas said she was inspired by the style of Khalid Iqbal, Mughees and Ghulam Mustafa.

“My work is based on the keen natural observation that involves a philosophical understanding of its usual and unusual settings,” she said. “It is a personal experience gained through nature’s introspective contemplation that has evolved into a subjective language. Sometimes subtle glimpses convey emotional states and often phenomenon of life is sought in the natural surroundings.”

About the show she said: “It is a reflection of my spiritual contemplative nature drawing me closer to its Creator through natural meditation and further opening intellectual avenues that are most often ignored.”

The exhibition will remain on display until May 4.

Published in Dawn, April 26th, 2019