ISLAMABAD: Works by over a dozen senior painters, sculptors and calligraphers were displayed at the newly opened Lok Virsa Gallery on Monday.

Minister for Education, Culture and Heritage Shafqat Mahmood inaugurated the exhibition and appreciated Lok Virsa and Nomad Gallery for arranging a fabulous show.

Among the artists whose work was on display was senior artist, writer, poet and playwright Ahmed Habib. Three of his paintings were showcased, which beautifully depicted the vanishing heritage of the old cities of Rawalpindi and Lahore.

“I paint the crumbling heritages to document them for future generations,” the artist told Dawn, adding that although we could not give back the physical structures to owners who left this part of the subcontinent, we could at least share this architectural heritage with people who migrated to India in the wake of the partition.

He said he was encouraged by Ajeet Kaur, a noted short-story writer of India to paint the buildings and hold a show in New Delhi but unfortunately, it could not materialise.

Doda Baloch’s figurative paintings portrayed a powerful reflection of the miseries of tribal people and the culture of Balochistan. A prolific artist and a graduate from MIT University (United States) in theoretical physics and philosophy of sciences, Baloch works with charcoal on paper.

Hussain Chandio’s paintings, rich in colour and movements, depict the landscape, culture and indigenous icons of Tharparkar. Kamal Hyat, an internationally acclaimed portrait painter, creates classical custom oil portrait paintings.

Madiha Fasahat, on the other hand, explores various facets, roles and experiences of women in Pakistani society.

“I have studied many accounts of uniquely female life experiences throughout different time periods, cultures, political and social settings, which fundamentally trickle into my work and inform me further about life as a woman,” she said.

Masood A. Khan’s work is a continuation of his previous appearances at various galleries in Pakistan and abroad. “At each appearance, I adopt a new vocabulary to paint the essence of truth with lines and layers,” he said.

Nadir Ali Jamali’s three giant paintings depict the story of a boy from Tharparkar, wandering and looking at the universe above him, which he describes as a symbol of struggle and courage.

Rakhshanda Atwar’s work is a freehand use of rich colours depicting emotional outbursts and trauma during the lockdown, which she termed “uber-dynamic” on the inside.

Watercolourist, calligraphist, and poet Riffat Khattak’s two paintings with bold colours, show a yearning for peace and harmony.

Samina A. Akhtar used mixed media with a strong expression and a reflection of the history of the subcontinent while Shireen Bano Rizvi’s work revolves around geometry, patterns and abstract figurative art.

Syed Faraz Ali’s work evolves from the current socio-political scenarios of the world especially Pakistan while Tabassum Rizvi’s work seemed to be impressionistic in nature.

Ubaid Syed is an established name in the art world residing in Sweden, who frequently travels back and forth to Pakistan. His striking landscapes symbolise possibilities.

According to the show’s curator, Nageen Hyat, “the importance of contemporary art in Pakistan is difficult to measure.”

“The human qualities concentrated in fine works of art are irreplaceable because they represent what each generation has most deeply experienced and felt during their lifetime,” she said, adding that an art collection is arguably the truest expression of the identity of a particular era and it becomes a collective memory, a part of the identity of a region or a nation.

In recent years, the Covid-19 pandemic has severely affected all sectors, particularly in the area of arts and craft, she said, adding that “it was therefore imperative that we continue our resilient commitment”.

The show will continue through Nov 7 daily from 11am to 8pm.

Published in Dawn, November 2nd, 2021