In recent times it appears that art ‘technology’ has become dominant on the art scene surrounding us. Artists search for ways to enhance the cultural and environmental observations they perceive the world around them, representative of experimental trends.

In every exhibition, the encounter between the art shown and the viewer is unique, as it is explored and interpreted from the experiences of the spectator.

In an exhibition of oil on canvas mounted by veteran artist Maqbool Ahmed at the Citi Art Gallery, Karachi, the artist’s signature artwork uses traditional media in a contemporary art idiom. One discovers connotations involving abstraction and amorphous elements that appear to express his observations of women as he sees them, with suggestive surrealism.

There is a deeply expressive paint quality in his art; the luminous colouration applied layer by layer enfolding the artist’s mysterious muse. He creates a suggestion of contemporary landscape in the movement of his brushstrokes that create a dramatic mood, as he explains, “Transparency, a third dimension and landscape are in my subconscious.”

Maqbool Ahmed uses traditional media in a contemporary art idiom

Exploring the paintings one discovers voluptuous forms with unpainted features blending into the expressive paint quality of the work. The surfaces of his canvases are tactile with the layering of gestural marks. Many of the paintings in the show portray a sensual suggestion in the folds and shadows of the subject’s garments; moods suggested by the surrounding shades. The paintings are intriguing to the viewer who perhaps in the mind’s eye, creates a known visage for the figure and a personal landscape from the sweeping background shades.

Recently, returning from a showing of his work in London, Ahmed, whose roots are in Quetta, had been determined to live his life in art from an early age. In 1974 he was awarded a silver medal from the Balochistan Arts Council in Quetta, and in 1975, went on to earn first prize in an art competition at Khana-i-Farhang-i-Iran. The opportunity, he had hoped for, came his way when he joined the National College of Arts (NCA), Lahore, and was mentored by teachers he remembers with respect and great affection to this day.

Maqsood Ahmed has been exhibiting his work in Pakistan and overseas since his graduation from the NCA in 1984. As a young artist he worked with focus, always eager to participate in art activities and exhibitions, and to experiment with his media. Although his work is centered on the female form in a diversity of mood enhancing shades, at times one senses through his work his link with his teachers; Colin David, Khalid Iqbal and Zahoor ul Aklaque, the masters to whom he dedicated his London show mounted at the Ayyari Contemporary Gallery, London.

The collection of 28 paintings displayed in exhibition find the individual images reflecting a subjective and personal expression. As the artist explains, “Painting cannot be translated in words of any language.” There is a sense of flux in the figures revealing the artist’s fascination with the manipulation of the media that offers suggestions of the female existence; the ability to retain individuality in a shadowed surrounding. The paintings that contrived the variation of a theme, created interest by the artist’s use of his media with numerous colours, shades and suggestions in the work as he says, “My painting is never finished, I keep thinking and changing it …”

Published in Dawn, Sunday Magazine, May 3rd, 2015

On a mobile phone? Get the Dawn Mobile App: Apple Store | Google Play