KARACHI: The inner struggle of an individual is, arguably, the hardest to depict in an artwork. Hardest, but enjoyable. The reason for that is that when it comes to human beings, interiority is often found to be complex to describe, whereas exteriority is visible hence can be relatively uncomplicated to delineate. The third volume of the Peace & Pieces series of exhibitions at the World Culture Festival organised by the Arts Council of Pakistan at its Ahmed Parvez Gallery is underway. It is worth visiting by any stretch of the imagination.

Out of the 14 artists whose works are on display, three have come from abroad. The remarkable thing is that almost all of them have touched upon subjects of memory, loss and dislocation. The last bit can be interpreted both in physical and psychological terms. And this is where the show becomes particularly worth watching. The viewer, by looking at the paintings on view, can also connect the dots and form a story about what’s transpiring, or maybe transpiring, within the characters in the frame.

But there are other artworks in the show which have political overtones. In those, too, the creative souls have highlighted societal tussle without losing sight of the individual strife.

The exhibition was recently inaugurated by Local Government Minister Syed Nasir Hussain Shah alongside Khana-i-Farhang Director Dr Saeed Talibi Nia and Arts Council President Ahmed Shah.

The show will conclude on Nov 18, and the participating artists are: Onesmus Okamar (Kenya), Sinenkosi Msomi (Eswatini), M Reza Firdowsi Fard (Iran), Shahid Rassam, Farrukh Shahab, Muhammad Zeeshan, Masood A Khan, Ubaid Syed, Nazar ul Islam, Noman Siddique, Syed Faraz, Saleem Raza, Fahim Rao and Kashif Khan.

Published in Dawn, November 16th, 2025