Objectivism describes art’s role in the life of a human being and the basic principles and doctrines that are applied in evaluating it. One can use these particular principles to evaluate various works of art as being good or bad, but unfortunately aesthetics is the least developed area of Objectivism.

Recently, Khaas Gallery in Islamabad featured a solo exhibition by Lahore-based artist Mohsin Shafi whose interesting works brought a new dialogue amongst viewers and art connoisseurs. Besides the usual, Shafi worked in different mediums of paper collage, acrylics and print on archival canvas, digital printing and mono printing. With a degree in BFA and an MA (Hons) in visual arts from National College of Arts, Lahore, his work explores numerous refractions to ascertain his investigations in issues pertaining to ideology, sexuality, gender-based issues and vehemence within the society.

In his current show titled, ‘Dirt under my nails’, Shafi manoeuvres and exercises his most cordial emotions and reactions in order to explore the inaccessible thoughts and reminiscences hidden deep within. Living in a society where it is becoming increasingly difficult to be comfortable with one’s self (in terms of being natural and spontaneous) one is exposed to denunciation and disapproval by the country’s political, cultural and social fundamentalists and mistrustful conformists. While questioning the current situation of society, Shafi struggles with this anticipation via artistic expression. This comes across perpetually through each work displayed at the exhibition.

While validating the ‘I’ (which is a challenge for many artists), Shafi questions identity, its meanings and intentions and recreates this challenge through his imagery. The works are centred on personal photographs and portraits of his family, images from old notebooks and representations of the self. Familiar and customary subjects that surround the artist in the form of emotions and personal responsiveness are interpreted through digital and mono prints. The artist’s personal experience with video installations provides a three-dimensional perspective in the displayed pieces. His collages deliver a three-dimensional depth on a two-dimensional surface. There is a play between the artist and the audience whereby the correspondence is in virtue of multiple comprehension of a single symbolisation brought forward by Shafi.

The expression and theory of art has dominated the aesthetic scene for the last 200 years or so, and it is popularly assumed that the distinctive function of the artist is to express emotions. If the artist does not express such emotions, his or her work—to that extent—is less entitled to be called art, and that all art must be expressive of something or the other, so much so that a non-expressive work of art is a contradiction in terms.

Putting forward more questions than providing his viewers with candid answers, Shafi turns to a deeper narrative between himself and his viewers.  The themes and concepts that informed artists like MohsinShafi continue to supply are standards which are yet to be measured by many others.