ISLAMABAD, March 8: The 31 paintings done by Hyderabad-born artist Khudadad Bux Abro in acrylic, oil on canvas and mixed media spoke of his deep-rooted concern for the cause of women.

The show was organised by the Nomad Art Gallery to mark the Women's Day being observed on Monday. The visuals had been done with all the sympathy the artist could muster for the oppressed women beset by the world of all the little and big problems.

Mr Abro has been doing paintings on women theme from the very outset of his career. Most of the works in the exhibition were naturally dominated by what Abro has witnessed or observed in the real life spanning the themes of Karo Kari, honour, the question of honour and dishonour and low esteem shown for women in the Sindhi society.

The series of paintings of Karo Kari aroused feelings of pity and compassion. His larger canvas entitled "If she had a door" was very moving, striking at the roots of the Pakistani society. This picture showed a shadow of a woman against a huge wall made of bricks without any door.

Another painting "Three Generations of Womenkind" left a great impact on the viewers. In one of the images, the artist drew the image of a lone woman as she walked. In his visual "And the music died", Abro did an intensely moving image with the body of a young woman lying without her head in an open field.

At the close of the exhibition, the director of the Nomad Art Gallery had a play performed by Bina Sharif entitled "Democracy in Islam". Bina Sharif featured in multiple roles for a special presentation on International Women's Day.