The term ‘modern art’ can be quite discordant when it is viewed from a historical standpoint. There is evidence in the annals of art that artists of the past also considered themselves modern, such as the rare polymaths of the Renaissance period. It is hard to refute the claim because their cultural movement brought the resurgence of learning in arts and science. The modern art of today continues to evoke new perceptions and extreme conjecture, though occasionally blurred.

To evoke analogous perception, 29 artworks of five fresh graduates of the Centre of Excellence in Art and Design, Jamshoro, arrived at the Chawkandi Art Gallery, Karachi, adding a spanking new dimension to the city’s blazing art exhibitions. Manifestation of distinct diversity of technique and concept by the graduates, despite originating from a common alma mater, gives this show its remarkable richness with mottled flavours.

Habib Phulpoto has based the theme of his paintings on the significance of dialogue, the primary source of communication, words of which occur repeatedly in routine life. He has depicted his observations through a variety of compositions of overlapping text using graphite pencil and miniature qalam (brush) on cartridge paper, glazed boxboard and four-layered wasli. He has also used pen and ink to repetitively inscribe names of renowned artists on tracing paper to achieve unique translucent compositions. Utilising overlaps of inscribed alphabets to invigorate densities, the artist has achieved interesting textured tonal values. Although Phulpoto has given a new direction to the use of graphite tenor, however, the absence of colour in his entire collection is strongly felt.

According to the curiously innovative Manisha Jiani, deformation is an unavoidable route to the formation of something and at times can become more appealing than the formation. Perception of freezing deformation is evident from her eight paintings executed on wasli using depleted ballpoint pens and sharp printmaker’s tools.

The paintings comprise mostly of linear strokes that leave deep grooves on the surface, sometimes actually gouging the paper to detach fine slivers that dangle naturally along the surface.

This is a novel idea of expression where the invisible line is just an impression that is rendered intricately on the wasli to revere the finesse of a miniature painting. Jiani has concentrated on visual appeal to support her perception of the splendour of deformation. She feels that everything in our lives follows a line; therefore she has deployed linearity to depict script, falling rain, miniature painting and cityscapes.

Azhar Chandio, deeply awed by Einstein’s sayings, believes that people who refrain from struggling against evil are the ones who make this world a dangerous place to live! As an observer of the social order, he concludes that society distorts owing to certain psychosocial and material impacts. The rampant proliferation of weapons, discrepant education system, declining value of currency and the acute shortfall of electricity are some of the areas that cause deformation in society. He feels committed to portray these deficiencies through his work to evoke public awareness so that remedial measures can be adopted. His skilfully painted oil on canvas paintings, like ‘Breaking news’, ‘Target’, and ‘Load-shedding’ are a direct rebuttal to the prevailing adverse state of civic affairs. Another striking artwork, ‘Economic crisis’, depicting coins in a state of meltdown is a stark reminder of the declining value of the country’s currency.

Ambreen Channa, in the backdrop of her inspiration from various renowned personalities, portrays her affiliation by mingling herself with their personalities to project them the way she regards them. She feels that we perceive a certain reflection of celebrities upon us which is conveyed unmistakably through her paintings, ‘Abida Perveen’, ‘Che Guevara’, ‘Rana’ and ‘Bala’. She incorporates her self-portrait in the celebrity’s typical posture in her paintings to emulate their protagonist characteristics. The painting style has a nostalgic tinge reminiscent of the traditional style of the ’50s that was practised in Lahore’s Laxmi Chowk.

Kashif Thebo is obsessed with the idea of eradicating the evils of society that haunt the illiterate and the deprived. The gimmicks and gear of fake fortune-tellers and spiritual healers has been boldly depicted in the artist’s work. With a taweez (amulet) and a conspicuous mousetrap, the central idea of these oil on canvas compositions is to convey the risk of entrapment by the sly chicanery of pseudo clairvoyants, mystics and sorcerers.

The show of artists from Jamshoro reveals numerous new approaches to an unrestrained expression portraying everyday subjects and the widespread unrest that haunts the masses. The observable struggle to attempt inventive styles and technique by the individuals shows an ardent consciousness for change. The innovative nature of work accosts the eye imparting a pleasant experience of forward-looking ideas and determined statements voiced by the five ingenious artists.