“Dot to dot” is a term usually used for an engaging puzzle wherein one uses a pen or pencil to connect the dots in order of ascending numerical order, the end result being an image of something recognisable. One can recall having indulged in this past time as a child, in addition to other mind games, like mazes, or word searches. Such activities are focused on applying one’s mind to reveal something meaningful in a seemingly jumbled and incomprehensible amalgam of imagery, be it dots, lines or words.

Just recently, an exhibition titled, ‘Dot to dot’, at Lahore’s Nairang Gallery, evoked similar connotations. Curated by Tania Sohail, and including the works of three young artists, Saim Ghazi, Farrukh Adnan and Abdullah Qamer, the style and content of the imagery did allow some mental engagement wherein one was invoked to find a meaning within the enigmatic visuals.

Ghazi’s basic medium was metal, and he had oxidised its surface to make use of the natural patternmaking that appears on a rusted surface. This patternmaking formed the backdrop for minimalistic imagery in enamel paint; rectangles, circles or a few lines gave a focal point to the insidiously emerging shapes in the background. They exuded a sense of mystery, ongoing change as well as decadence, and had to do with concepts found in cosmology, superstitions and even religion. Besides these paintings on metal, Ghazi had displayed an installation titled, ‘Urbanisation’, which was made of oxidised iron rods moulded in rectangular shapes and loosely connected with metallic threads. This maze-like configuration attempted to comment on the thoughtless spate of urbanisation, as well as the ongoing electricity crises that has engulfed modern living. The latter idea was enforced by the presence of metallic poles in the foreground of the installation.

Adnan’s small-scale drawings using mono prints and felt tipped markers displayed very subtle and detailed mark making on paper. These drawings, which utilised tiny dots and lines to form repetitive maze like configurations were a reflection of the artist’s response to music, sound, and travel, and were almost like a kind of morse code with which he had recorded his feelings. A sense of introversion pervaded the work, as if it was a contemplative, meditative exercise, more than anything else. One can recall seeing a variety of such meditative works by young artists in recent times, and it seems to be reflective of the need to escape from an increasingly clamorous, violent and stressful environment.

Qamer’s two sculpture pieces were the most intriguing and visually strong contributions in this exhibition. Made by joining small round metal pieces, smooth and shiny, like perfectly shaped pebbles in shades of grey, they seemed to have evolved bit by bit, to emerge into monster like creatures, both revolting and fascinating. These visuals were the artists comment on life in the city of Karachi, which is both ugly and charming, festering with violence and yet hopeful for the evolution of peace. Qamer works with the concepts of opposing forces and the inherent contradictions that are present in human lives and their environment. The sculpture titled, ‘evolution begins’, was particularly eloquent in evoking this concept. The organic, plant-like form, though made of metal, appeared to have evolved through a natural evolutionary process, and symbolised a process of change.

‘Dot to dot’ was thus an amalgam of imagery reflective of the search of young minds for meaning, as they go through the maze of life. Both experimental and contemplative, the work does have many more miles to explore in an ongoing journey of creativity.