ISLAMABAD: An exhibition of paintings by a young artist capturing the serenity and life of Kashmir opened at Gallery 6 on Friday.

The show, titled Hued Whodunits features 31 water colours paintings by Muntehaa Azad, a textile designer, was well received by art lovers.

“Her paintings are misty, mystic mysteries and the combination of these has led her to develop her own path,” commented Dr Arjumand Faisal, curator, artist and director of the Gallery 6.

Each painting appears to be narrating an enigmatic story to which one begins to relate with an element of surprise, he noted.

She has skillfully painted the natural beauty of Kashmir, in ‘Mood in the mist’, ‘Faraway Land’ and ‘Stairs to Heaven’. She has not only painted the serenity but the gloom and hardship of women of the valley, in ‘Water Bearers’ and ‘Green Field with Barbed Wires’ which she says are the depiction of the patriarchal shackles around women in almost every area of Pakistan.

“Women issues are closure to my heart as I am a feminist and have always challenged the patriarchal norms,” she commented.

In ‘Shelters’, she has painted landscape of a construction site in Lahore, where she was born, and brought up. She has captured every mood, season and shades of life in ‘Going in a Forest’, ‘Hazy shade of winter’, ‘On our way’, ‘Living on the age’, ‘Walking in the woods’, ‘Evening sky’ the thick pine trees, riverside, snowfall and lakes.

Though the landscapes and images are drawn from her beautiful surroundings, they are given a new sensation creating both serenity and a strange melancholy with imaginative surrealistic additions noted Dr Arjumand.

“The misty environment present in many paintings enhances the compositions through delicate and intimate charms of water colours. It is presented in different ways, giving it multiple interpretations. In some it appears to be fog and suffocating, while in others it gives the impression of the romantic haze of rainy season,” said Dr Arjumand, an established artist and social worker.

Similarly, there are a few paintings with brighter light and clearer views indicating a distinct shift in the artist’s mood. These mostly have sea, pond or a stream in the foreground making one wonder the influence of such places on her.

The houses and huts, do not appear to be from her settings but drawn from imaginary situations. They give the impression of being without inhabitants, even the paintings of the individual doors show them shut or locked. These elements add a new intriguing twist to her visual narrations.

“I love loneliness away from urban jungle my own space. And Rawalakot and its surroundings is a place I had dreamed of to enjoy nature and personal feelings. That’s why I have portrayed the cool and calm pine forests, lake and huts in a secluded place,” she said.Over the last two and a half years, Muntehaa has participated in four exhibitions of International Watercolour Society (IWS) at Karachi, Malaysia, Peru and Italy. Besides these, she has held one solo show at Lahore and participated in two group exhibitions in Karachi and Islamabad.

“My forte is painting dreamy and hazy landscapes,” the artist said.

“Having moved from the hustle and bustle of an urban environment to the quiet and serenity of the Himalayan foothills, my artwork is inspired by my current surroundings. These are etched in my mind and are now part of my fictional character, which I play within my life.

“The artwork on display are very powerful as the artist has put her soul in the paintings,” commented Advocate Basharat Qadir.

There are artists who paint and create an art focusing on techniques but there are a few who transfer their feelings and soul on canvas and Muntehaa is one of them, he commented.

The exhibition will continue till July 4.

Published in Dawn, June 29th, 2019