ISLAMABAD: Paintings that highlighted the struggle and resilience of Pakistani women went on display at the Nomad Gallery last week.

Commemorating the National Women’s Day, the exhibition was titledLaazim Hai Ke Hum Bhi Dekhengey, a line from Faiz Ahmed Faiz’ famous poem reflecting the voices of marginalised segments of society.

“The exhibition is meaningful, reflecting the oppression, exploitation, pain and resilience of women,” commented curator Nageen Hyatt.

Most of the paintings on display highlight the pain and violence that women face in Pakistan’s patriarchal society.

Dr Mohammad Ali Bhatti’s painting on display is from his series on the partition of the subcontinent. He has subtly highlighted the violence and displacement of people.

Born and raised in Sindh, Dr Bhatti moved to the United States in the 80s and for the last 30 years has been painting portraits of numerous prominent personalities.

He is a world-renowned portrait painter whose medium is oil on canvas. He paints realistic portraits and concentrates on themes that are inspired by mysticism and sociopolitical issues.

Currently based in Houston, Dr Bhatti creates classical oil portrait paintings with a distinctive style, a combination of subject matter, bold comparisons and intense colour.

“A great portrait painting goes far beyond merely capturing a faithful likeness. The physical process of applying paint with a brush creates a unique dynamic energy, impossible to replicate through any mechanical process,” he said.

He said his artistic talent was shaped by art teachers such as Anna Molka Ahmed and Saeed Akhter during his studies at Lahore. His first success came with an imaginative portrait of Shah Abdul LateefBhittaiwhich he painted in 1981 and was unveiled at the Institute of Sindhology, Jamshoro.

Samina Ali Akhtar’s painting reflects the dance scene of courtesans in Mughal court. But in a contemporary perspective, it also reflects the courage and confidence and empowerment of women.

Ms Akhtar is one of foremost artists of Pakistan. Herpaintings, done in acrylic, collage and mixed media in striking colours and images distinguished by rich gold, reflect historical Mughal court scenes.

“She creates memories of grand spaces and celebratory processions, Mughal-era royal weddings dance layered into the tapestry of colour, texts and images,” commented Ms Hyatt.

With a master’s degree in Fine Arts from the Punjab University, she uses amix media on paper — reflecting unique elements on a juxtaposed surface of woodcut, calligraphy, natural dyes, stains, gold and silver leaf.

Ms Akhtar told Dawn by phone that history has been a reference point for her as she has been teaching it for some time, which is reflected in her work.

“Monoprints with calligraphy in gold and silver are essential elements of my work, and decayed leaves in brown and black colours symbolise the decline in the Mughal era after reaching its zenith,” she said.

Ms Akhtar, who also painted Faiz’s poetry, said Faiz’s poetry is the voice of the voiceless and common people, and will always remain relevant.

Abrar Ahmed has highlighted in his painting the dreams, fear and helplessness of an urban middle-class woman.

Abrar’ssuccess in theart world is not only limited to Pakistan, but also beyond. His work has been displayed in leadingartgalleries both nationally and internationally. Inspired by the Bengal school and drawing aesthetically, he has participated in a number of exhibitions in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad.

Mohammad HussainChandio’s painting of a group of women in bright colours depicts the resilience and suffering of rural women in Sindh.

Tayyaba Aziz’ painting on display is from her time and space series showing the spirituality and dreams of a woman. The image of a woman with closed eyes and hands raised for prayer and roses in her surroundings shows the inner beauty, depicts feminine energy, juxtaposed with layers from the mixed colour palette to stimulate the senses, Ms Hyat said.

“I describe myself as an abstract cubo-expressionist artist,” Ms Aziz said.

About her ‘Clock and Coin’ series, she said: “Time is what keeps everything from happening at once.We always compare our present experiences to our dim memories of the past.”

“I show psychological time in a complex manner, it tangled in a drapery of past experiences.”

Published in Dawn, February 17th, 2020