Hussain's drawings are immaculately rendered and subtle in their maneuvering of tonal variation and realistic detail. He chooses images which are common and familiar, yet at times almost surreptitiously altered in their reality. The everyday attire of men in Pakistan is either shalwar kameez or trousers, and he focuses on these two entities both separately and simultaneously evolving these as symbols to evoke thoughts and questions pertaining to our cultural identity.

Other works show rough-looking feet either sticking out from beneath an ethnic patchwork quilt or viewed from an aerial perspective as they appear adorned with simple chappals, or a male figure seen from behind, wearing a baseball cap in the reverse as has been the common fashion in the West but also practiced by our local youngsters. The Sindhi cap, in contrast, is shown as a lone entity in a large empty expanse of space, as if waiting for ownership. Hussain's drawings make the viewer wonder about his intent, impressing one with the meaning and content of the visuals.

Kamran's paintings in acrylics show a talent for portraiture and the ability to paint dexterously, but also in a rather disturbingly feverish manner. It is almost as if she is overcome by a sense of despair as she creates her portraits and her subjects appear gaunt and distraught in their expression and demeanour. One can feel a sense of inner distress, a questioning of circumstances, and the role that people play in it.

Even more disturbing and in fact evoking revulsion, are her soft sculptures in felt, that appear as strange hybrid animals that are both menacing and yet pitiful in their apparent predicament. A mutilated bear-like form that appears to have eaten another bear, or a sickly, emaciated mongrel looking fearfully over its shoulder as it slinks into a retreating position are examples of the soft to touch but eerie and grim creatures the artist has produced. They appear to be shocking reminder of the degeneration and dehumanisation of many people in our society and as one cringes in despair at the images, one realises how difficult it is to acknowledge ugliness.

Kamran is a young artist, and she has dared to expose her fears and the unsavoury aspects in her world. Nonetheless, one hopes that in the future her energies will find recourse to less disturbing images and she will be able to evolve a vocabulary that can get her point across in a manner that is aesthetically innovative as well.

At this point, one is reminded of artist Ruby Chishti, who also creates cloth sculptures and has had poignant life experiences which were expressed through her work. However, her sculptures were, in a quaint way, aesthetically endearing. Perhaps, Kamran could study these works as food for thought.

As for Hussain, his drawing skills assured, he can also explore his theme further, focusing perhaps on hands and facial features instead of only feet and the lower torso, and also work further in coloured pastels as well . All of his works, except one, were in monochrome, and the lone coloured work, evoked a desire to see more of these.

Both Hussain and Kamran are talented and sensitive young artists, and one hopes to see them evolve further in a positive direction.