There are art pieces that inspire. There are some that impress. Very seldom does it happen that art does well on both counts, because in that case it falls into the 'immortal' category.

However, the works of art that inspire and those that impress don't have a huge gulf between them for both need a certain degree of excellence and finesse to move the viewer.

The four-person group show at Canvas Gallery (Aug 18-27), Karachi carried some pieces that impressed, and there were a few that inspired. And none disappointed. So job well done! And there's no need for explaining which piece evoked what feeling, because that will ruin the mystique of it all.

Let's start off with Fakeera Fakeero, whose pencil-on-paper drawings, a substantial percentage of them, induce the feeling of awe and wonderment. One of his subjects was a shanty-like house, with a creaky door over which hang large sheets of cloth, and covered with, if not surrounded by, all sorts of assorted stuff that you'd find in a ghareeb basti. Yes, I've used the word 'creaky' because the image had an auditory feel to it, as if the whirligig nature of time is a tangible occurrence.

Muzammil Raheel's collage on paper titled 'Art' (not to mention collage on canvas and ink on paper work) and a couple of untitled pieces hint at the intellectual side of the artist. Running the risk of being off-base, there's an element of pop art in his effort, which is nothing to grouse about. He is aware of the importance of diversification.

By the same token Shazia Fazal is cognizant of the magic that colours conjure, especially the darker shades. She associates, or so I feel, gestures and frames of mind with colours. Her pieces 'Relaxation', 'Happy', 'Emotion' and 'Movement' (oil and acrylic on paper) definitely fill the viewer with a sense that life is tainted with tinges.

Arif Husain Khokar tends to be symbolic without ostensibly being abstruse. His 'Flame' series (oil on canvas) initially gives the indication that he's trying to show off how he paints with surgeon-like precision. But playing with green and black backgrounds he is also touching upon a certain spiritual aspect of life that modern-day man has either overlooked or doesn't attach much importance to.

But having said that, light can have many a meaning. It can be construed as hope, as a quest for spiritual enlightenment and solace, but at the same time a clear, burning flame can also imply constancy and a good future. So there's a combination of different sets of sentiments and feelings at work here.

All in all, a nice exhibition, that impressed... and inspired.