KARACHI: Repetition of words or phrases in a piece of writing, especially when composing a work of fiction, is often considered undesirable. It shows a somewhat limited vocabulary on the part of the writer. But in art — by that one implies the art of painting — repetition can be purposefully used to emphasise and reemphasise a point that the artist wants the viewer to mull over. It can also be employed as a motif for a particular artwork.

A four-person exhibition titled Traces of Becoming, which is underway at the Canvas Art Gallery, uses this technique effectively.

The participating artists are Danish Shivani, Haider Ali Naqvi, Rehana Mangi and Shiza Saqib. They have done a nice job in turning their observations and experiences into poignant signposts to the times were are living in. This doesn’t mean that they have not touched upon the days gone by. There are references to that, too, albeit in a subtle way. For example, while trying to get art lovers to take note of a particular town’s present socioeconomic condition, its past is automatically brought into focus through an unmentioned and indirect comparison.

Be it the tautological use of a local word or the difference that machines (read: technology) have created between the creative lot and their productivity, be it the hard work put in by an underappreciated community or the newly-given concrete jungle-status of a city, the artists have driven their points home with artistic panache and a fair degree of thoughtfulness.

In support of this claim, it would be quite relevant to highlight thought-provoking exhibits on display such as ‘The Garden’ series by Mangi, the ‘Saans’ series by Saqib, the untitled series by Shivani and the ‘City, Inverted’ series by Naqvi. The recurrence of motifs in their works is worth spending time with.

The exhibition concludes on July 9.

Published in Dawn, July 7th, 2026