KARACHI: While discussing with a colleague the craven attitude of writers and poets in Pakistan towards the sociopolitical polarisation in the country it struck both of us that if anyone, or any one group, that has been bold and upfront in recent times about the problems society is faced with, it is the artist community — painters and sculptors, to be precise.

What is all the more heartening is that it is the younger lot of artists, mostly, who are being courageous to hold up a mirror to society, to us. Another convincing example of it comes in the form of an exhibition of the latest body of work by Sajid Khan which can be seen at the Sanat Gallery.

The exhibition, incisively titled Benumbed, has 10 artworks on display, all of which paint a thought-provoking picture; not dark, but thought-provoking. The reason for it is that Khan brings into focus the horrors of war, of hostility, of aggression but at the same time does not want his viewers to forget that there are forces and counter-forces which can help us understand, if not improve, the situation better. This can be noticed in a series of untitled paintings (graphite on wasli, opaque watercolour on archival paper) where the symbolic presence of the devil can be seen. The issue is compounded by suggesting the vanity of unnecessary and forced machismo (untitled II) which has resulted in many catastrophic events. And yet, somehow the artist manages to reiterate that, no matter what circumstances dictate, innocence can never be discounted.

So what is it that makes one feel benumbed? Khan makes it evident in pieces such as ‘They are proud’ (graphite on wasli) and ‘Up, down, in between’ (opaque watercolour on archival paper) where the mushroom-like growth hints at nothing but the hazards of living in the conflict-ridden contemporary world. That said, the artist also makes his viewers realise, in the words of Ernest Hemingway, it is silly not to hope.

The exhibition will continue till June 22.

Published in Dawn, June 19th, 2015

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