ISLAMABAD: A new exhibition titled Tasawur – which means to imagine or form — showcases portraits to depict individuals throughout the ages, including kings to commoners.

The contributing artists include Aakif Suri, Irfan Hasan, Noor Ali Chagani and Suleman Khilji. The exhibition, organised by Satrang Gallery, aims to analyse the impact of the portrait and its continued relevance.

“The artists in this exhibition have explored and incorporated the concept of portraiture in their own way, blurring the boundaries between reality and fiction, form and foundation, and, perhaps, most importantly between individual and community using their representations to comment on larger social concerns,” said the curator of the show, Zara Khan.

Akif Suri, who has an MA (Hons) in Visual Arts from National College of Arts (NCA) said that animals were part of his work so the viewer could connect with the natural world.

“These paintings can deliver a sense of beauty and mystery together; sometimes, the aesthetics can allure the viewer with colour and composition and he/she may find delight in the image but the content of my work is far from that,” the artist said.

Lahore-based Irfan Hasan, who majored in Indo-Persian miniature painting and graduated with distinction from NCA Lahore, said for the past few years, his practice had been predominantly subjugated with the idea of human figures and portraits within the context of oriental and western visual aesthetics and art history.

“Being trained as an Indo-Persian miniature painter, I imitated the number of old miniature painting manuscripts in order to learn stylised contouring, intricate brushwork, and watercolor wash methods of the Persian, Mughal, and Bengal schools.

“It is not just the technique that fascinated me, replicating the manuscripts but also the storytelling and stylised representation of figures, mythological creatures, demons, gods, kings, and humans,” he added.

Also a graduate from NCA Lahore, in miniature painting, Noor Ali Chagani said: “In Pakistan, barriers keep people in line, stopping them from entering into a building or giving a false hope of security.

“These miniscule barriers represent our society and the dogmatic portraits of statements, which are associated with personalities, institutions and religion.”

Another graduate from NCA Lahore in visual arts, Suleman Khilji, in his work, examined the process of painting and drawing.

The process was based on research and experimentation, revolving around notions of time and space.

While looking at contradictions through the lenses of urban/social growth, he tried to examine visuals sourced from history and contemporary culture. Mr Khilji’s work often intentionally blurs lines between fact and fiction, documentation and imagination.

Published in Dawn, October 3rd, 2021