KARACHI: These days it is difficult for artists to detach themselves from the socio-cultural changes, which often emerge in the form of upheavals, taking place around them. In the past, they could’ve steered clear of them, not now. As a result, and take it as a blessing, the art that’s being produced is of super high quality. An ongoing two-person show titled Perhaps time’s definition of coal is the diamond is a nice example. The two participating artists — Hussain Jamil and Abdul Jabbar Khan — using entirely different media, have come up with some striking exhibits that gel well with the title of the exhibition.

Let’s talk about that name of the show first. The coal-diamond binary is a clear reference to the line between right and wrong that’s constantly getting blurred these days. At the same time, it depicts the transformation of something bright, shiny and valuable from something unrevealed and buried under the soil.

Jamil’s work done in archival print on paper and stainless steel such as ‘Revisiting Rajput Boy’ and ‘Revisiting van Gogh’ validates the observation.

In his statement he writes: “The excitement and awe one feels at seeing in the mirror every day intrigued me to explore the nature of reflections. To me, the mirror has been telling a lie since ages as when we see words in mirrors, we see them inverted but when we see ourselves, and our mind usually gets tricked by the mirror. This very duality and spontaneity of the material makes one ponder upon Plato’s theory of forms, thus questioning the originality of the vision…”

The key to the artist’s investigation into his concern is ‘revisiting’ what he has already visited.

Abdul Jabbar Khan keeps things literal in his statement: “Black dust in my life is scattered around me in the form of coal. …The labourers dig out coal in mines, [they] are directly connected to my soul. The dark black colour and sharp scratches on coal attracted me to select the material for my work.”

He mentions his soul and the connection is evident in the ‘Effort’ series (charcoal on canvas) — spirituality in physicality.

Therefore, Jamil and Khan have successfully tried to portray two sides of the same coin by showing their distinct facets.

The exhibition will conclude on April 27.

Published in Dawn, April 8th, 2022