KARACHI Critics have time and again attached great importance to Shahid Sajjad's sojourn in the Rangamati forests in East Pakistan when he was a young artist in the '60s suggesting it had contributed a lot to his artistic growth. Some have traced influences of Paul Gauguin in his work. The fact remains that Shahid Sajjad doesn't just make sculptures he creates them and breathes soul into them through his sheer zest for life, which is precisely why the artist is looked upon with awe and reverence by art lovers all across the world.The Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture (IVSAA) has come up with a brilliant idea of revisiting Shahid Sajjad's pieces which he created in a span of 46 years. The exhibition titled 'Retrospective of Shahid Sajjad — Works from 1963-2009' (including wax and graphite drawings) commenced on Feb 22 and will continue till March 15. On the opening day luminaries like I.A. Rehman and known critics spoke on Shahid Sajjad's remarkable accomplishments highlighting his efforts in rediscovering subcontinental cultural links. With astounding sculptures and drawings displayed in the courtyard and two spacious halls at the IVSAA, it never seems enough to view Sajjad's art for a fixed period of time. You just want to stay there for as long as you can to figure out the wonders that creativity can do.

A majority of Shahid's (bronze) sculptures initially hold your attention. Like all great artists, life's unhampered movement seems to be one of his subjects. Even if you don't try and delve deep into the meaning of a piece titled 'Eternal Motion' (bronze, 2002) or 'Motion' (wax crayon on cardboard, 1987), one look at works like 'There Is No Escape From What Is' (bronze, 2000) 'Storm Within' (bronze, 2000) and Gust of Wind (bronze, 1979) will give away the idea that it's movement not torpor that stirs Shahid Sajjad to create.

One stupendous sculpture placed in the courtyard is 'Man Day Dreaming' (Banderola wood, 1967-1973). It's a masterpiece. The man in it may be dreaming but his eyes suggest a pensiveness that can only be associated with an individual trying to come to terms with the vicissitude of existence. You can't take your eyes off it.

The series tiled Nude Study - Chittagong Hill Tracts 1966 is another masterstroke. The word 'study' has been aptly employed here. The nudes will definitely remind you of some of the great works ever done in the subject/genre.

The cliché that artists happen to be a sensitive lot may also rear its head when art lovers come across 'Sorrow' (brass, 1975), 'Arrogance' (smoked and painted deodar, 1977) or 'Grief I & II' (chiselled drawing, 1987). But again it's creations like 'Bathing Woman' (Nageshar wood, 1966-1972) that makes the viewer appreciate, to a reasonable extent, the magic that art can conjure. Also, Shahid Sajjad's observational prowess is evident when he creates the oft-discussed mother-child unconstrained connection (Nageshar wood, 1966; chiselled drawing, printing ink on cardboard, 1986) and makes it look nothing but natural.

If you haven't been to the exhibition yet, count yourself unlucky.