A three-person show including Sheraz Faisal, Asad Hayee and Faisal Asghar was held recently at The Drawing Room Art Gallery, Lahore. The title 'A moment in a lifelong journey' was perhaps a bit presumptuous, considering the age of the young artists. Nonetheless, the nature of their discourse, in which both social and personal issues had been addressed, did carry the element of thoughtfulness and sensitivity. The symbolism employed by the three artists revealed a variety of concerns; weapons and violence in society, colonial influences as revealed in attire, or the predicaments of familial ties.

Faisal's approach was minimalistic and subtle even though his theme revolved around the permeation of violence in our day-to-day lives. The series of small works made with graphite on archival paper consisted of envelopes sporting stamps that had the image of a gun on them, obviously showing the glorified status of weapons in our society.

Each 'painting' showed the envelope from a different angle or side, as if the artist was experimenting with the artistic possibilities of his chosen imagery. Other symbols in his work included something which looked both like the nib of a pen as well as a missile, and this interchangeable symbolism again, very subtly, brought home the message of the infiltration of weapons in our lives.

Hayee's mixed media works also employed a simple palette of tea stain like washes and the dark blue of an ordinary ballpoint pen to draw his symbols. The artist's recurrent image is that of a blue and white striped necktie, used both as a symbol of his bygone school days, as well as of the influence of our history of colonial presence which still is part of our everyday lives.

The artist displayed a conscious sense of design but there is also an element of casualness in the way he has executed his images, as if a preparatory sketch file has been used to note down ideas as they came to him. This reinforced a sense of nostalgia as well as spontaneity.

Asghar's imagery was perhaps the most impressive. It was fascinating to see how he employed just a ballpoint pen to create such fine and sensitively rendered forms.

Human figures amidst other symbols, mostly pertaining to nature and surreal landscapes, appeared to express a personal narrative featuring close human relationships, as well as deep contemplation on the miracle of human life as it manifests itself in a pregnant woman and the birth of a child.

The use of rather unconventional yet simple mediums, the experimental approach and the concern for design and pattern making in addition to thoughtful deliberation on various issues were the commonly shared features of the three young artists—each of whom attempted to capture 'a moment in a lifelong journey'. May they continue to explore in depth the mysteries and marvels that this ongoing journey entails.