KARACHI: Artist Asim Butt was in his early thirties when he in 2010, reportedly, committed suicide. It would be stating the obvious to say that his death shocked art lovers and practitioners because he in his lifetime had already proved his mettle as a painter to a decent degree by oftentimes going public with his swashbuckling, figurative art.

He painted murals and made graffiti at places where anyone could have a good, closer look at them, using bold colours and rich strokes. He was also the founder of the Karachi Stuckists. Stuckism is an anti-conceptual art movement.

These days the Indus Valley School (IVS) of Art and Architecture is showcasing some of his work because, among other reasons, he was an IVS graduate.

The artworks on display are defined in the following words: “It [the show] includes a number of paintings and drawings that highlight Asim’s studio experience where he was constantly experimenting with new ideas and gestures while negotiating his creative journey. This is evident from works that appear preparatory and experimental in nature, probably ripped out of larger final works. Proceeds from the exhibition will go towards the Asim Butt Scholarship Fund, which supports the education of deserving students at IVS. “

It may be his studio experience on view at IVS, but within that space, which is usually the case with artists, Asim invokes a world that he both inhabits and wants others to be familiar with. He basically paints characters. They are not outlandish characters; they carry tremendous natural verve and yet looking at them gives the viewer this weird idea that they need to be listened to, not just looked at. This is more evident in the case of his drawings whose grayness are markedly different from the pieces filled with colours, as if suggesting life is not black or white, it exists in the gray areas — an idea that is fast gaining currency in the contemporary world.

The exhibition concludes on Thursday (today).

Published in Dawn, September 15th, 2022