KARACHI: It is always nice, in any field, in more ways than one, to go back to basics. In art, it invariably means the art of drawing. ‘Basic’ doesn’t necessarily suggest ‘the initial process’; it implies origin in its purest form.

A group drawing show titled Axis Mutatis, which is under way at the Full Circle Gallery and will conclude on Feb 5, is a fine example of how artists rediscover themselves through complexity of ideas with the simplicity of technique.

Let’s get the name of the exhibition sorted first. The English phrase, according to a handout provided by the gallery, written in brackets alongside axis mutatis is ‘mutated earth’. “It came from a 90s’ music album by The Shamen. It is about the shamanic journey one takes. Hence, the drawings deal with esoteric subjects such as chaos and order, conscious and subconscious mind, fantasy and surreal imagery.”

Esoteric? Yes and no. Yes, because these are not uncomplicated topics to delve into. No, because these are subjects that the creative lot mulls over on a fairly regular basis — and has been doing since time immemorial.

The reference to music is important here. A close reading of the artworks on display will enable the viewer to not only see them but hear the resonance that the grey lines and shapes create, especially if you are an admirer of the western musical genres of rock and metal. Then there are pieces which look like doodling. Not the puerile kind of doodling but the type that signifies the search of a disturbed soul for peace in a frenzied world… And the entire effort results in a very watchable show where art can be found at its ‘original’ best.

The participating artists are: Babar Moghal, Jovita Alvares, Maha Minhaj, Manizhe Ali, Paul Mehdi Rizvi, Sana Nezam and Umaimah Mustafa Khan.

Published in Dawn, February 5th, 2021