Saira Dar’s exhibition of artworks, recently displayed at the artist’s family residence, was an effort of unfettered inspiration, with none of the works for sale and simply put up with the intent of sharing ideas and imagination. The 24 artworks, ranging from medium to diminutive sizes, employed a variety of mediums: mixed media, acrylic as well as collage on paper, board and canvas, and traversed topics both personal and universal.

Dar has been working as an artist since 1993, with nine solo exhibitions to her credit, many of them held at one of Pakistan’s largest public gallery, The Alhamra, Lahore. She is also a well-known art critic, poetess in the making, and shared a few of her poems, both in Urdu and English at the show. Both her art and poetry reflect her quest for social justice and solutions for the predicaments of human beings, expressed mostly in a symbolic way. In the ‘Beloved homeland’ series, colours conjure the pictures of bloodshed as well as the idyllic vision that the artist has for her country.

‘Stories from Pakistan’ is a compilation of works, which talks of sectarian violence, blasphemy laws, the instability caused by disasters, both natural and manmade, including the unending loadshedding and the need to revert back to the era of the oil lamp. All of this is done through a spontaneous use of colours, within which symbols emerge to convey a message.

‘Out of the box’ was another series that was both unusual and intriguing. Making use of a collection of cardboard boxes and other found objects, the artist had composed images that were minimalistic but yet profound. For example, ‘Chattering class’ was a reflection of how the feminine gender in particular and society in general, tends to while away time with simply too much insensitive and callous talk. The imposing red lips in the foreground and a pair of cats in the near distance quite said it all.

In ‘Portrait of a demagogue’, an overview of the leadership, present and past, aptly predicts the dishonest and hypocritical shenanigans as an exercise in futility, with the “number one dramas, and zero results”, symbolised through the collage items and the manner of their placement.

Probably the most interesting was the pair of ‘self-portraits’ in mixed media. The first painting had the artist at a stage of life, where self-consciousness of one’s appearance seemed to be symbolised by the figure addressing her vanity in a mirror.

Nonetheless, the light source, a brilliant circle in the top right, also represented the inner desire for enlightenment despite the worldly engagements. The other portrait represented the oneness of the soul with the universe and the artist is seen identifying herself with values inherent in Sufi teachings and concerns.

Thus, the inner self, the social political dilemmas, as well as more esoteric realms, were all brought together in an aesthetically engaging manner that both intrigued and inspired a variety of viewers.