KARACHI: All forms of art — visual, performing, textual — are about storytelling. Man is a storytelling animal. We like to tell and hear stories. Those who tell them with a fair degree of eloquence and artistic flair become artists. The question, why is it important to tell stories, has been dealt with in a two-person show titled A Wanderer’s Archives.

So why does one need to tell a tale? Answer: because it helps us empathise with people, identify with plausible and implausible situations and allows us to go through the process of catharsis that in turn enables us to make sense of our existence.

The two participating artists — Shameen Arshad and Shanzay Sabzwari — have done that very well, albeit through the visual medium.

Wait. There’s more to it: the emphasis is on ‘archive’. This implies that the past is being invoked here. A note explains: “The work is the assimilation of all that is part of the baggage that we lug through life, encased within the human body. The exhibition showcase the artists’ active search of understanding their identity as well as traits inherited and passed down the generations. These mind maps are rendered with thoughtful details and layered with expressionistic plot. Their work is a composite of layers, of research, time frames, cultural influences and sentiments.”

Two things need to be unpacked. The first is the phrase ‘expressionistic plot’, and the second is ‘baggage’. The former is to do with the technique whereby Shameen and Shanzay have tried to convey their innermost feelings, creatively playing with realities for visual impact. The latter is about memory. As we grow up (if not old), we tend to store fragments of all the good and bitter experiences in our minds that has a major contribution to who we become.

The above-mentioned technical and contextual aspects are nicely ‘expressed’ in vibrant and opulent artworks by Shameen and Shanzay — such as in ‘They’re Everywhere’ series and in the piece ‘A New Life’. They compel the viewer to dig into his/her own personal archive.

The show, currently under way at Koel Gallery, concludes on Thursday (today).

Published in Dawn, August 17th, 2023