KARACHI: One of the major differences between Eastern and Western cultures, as enunciated by Western scholars, is that the West is known for its material pursuits whereas the East for its spiritual quest. This can be validated from T S Eliot’s iconic poem The Wasteland which basically talks about the spiritual hollowness of Western society. But what does it mean when artists from the Eastern part of the world make the spiritual urge their subject? To find answer to the question a visit to the Art Chowk Gallery where an exhibition of Hira Zubair’s artworks titled Dimensions of Soul is under way.

The artist makes things clear at the outset with her statement, “Sustaining the soil meditates and focuses on our roots. The strength of spirituality involves our capacity to dig deep and find great meanings in life; to align ourselves with a purpose that extends beyond us to find unity within the universe.”

Now Hira specialises in miniature painting, which implies she has a keen interest in history, particularly the history of the region she belongs to, and has, like all quality artists, finesse in her art. And she emphasises on ‘sustaining the soil’ and ‘focusing on roots’. The point is that in our society there’s a danger of getting rootless, therefore one must stand by what one identifies with.

In the process putting forward the argument, she comes up with delightful pieces such as ‘The power of imagination’ (gold plated bronze frame, gold leaf, gouache on wasli) and the ‘Growing deeper’ series where history, nature and creativity come together in a seamless manner. To boot, her images, literally and figuratively, speak volumes for the way she has mastered her craft. Hira’s lines are sharp, colours delectable and figures meaningful — hinting at the ‘unity within the universe’.

The exhibition curated by Humayun Memon concludes on Dec 20.

Published in Dawn, December 17th, 2021