ISLAMABAD, Jan 14: The potency behind her paintings is not entirely in her skilled technique and richly lined palette but in that there is an emotional response and familiarity with the work especially her landscapes that overwhelm those who see them.

Featuring landscapes, portraits and still lives in her new exhibition, Natalia Kakar's paintings completely embraced energetic colours and all aspects of contemporary fine art.

This exhibition called 'The Way' that opened at the Gallery Louvre was a unique combination of Ukrainian painter NataliaKakar who returned to the local art scene with her husband and sculptor Tariq Kakar af ter nearly five years.

The couple was welcomed by friends and visitors on the opening day of the exhibition. In her works Natalia Kakar had produced dramatic tonal and textural contrasts.Visitors admired her balanced work.

'The European art education is prominent in lines that are balanced, a quality missing in works of local painters,' explained the curator of the exhibition Syeda Alina Saeed.

The artist had preserved a 400-year-old fort in the Shigar Valley Skardu and the an-cient ruins of Katas Raj near Chakwal in her landscapes.

Her portraits included impressions of dancing women and the still lives were mostly flowers and vases.

Natalia Kakar had to paint from pictures she photographed. 'It is impossible for a woman to sit outside with her canvas in front of her. People gather around in amazement,' the painter said explaining her apprehensions of painting on the spot. 'Although I prefer to get out there but that is not possible in Pakistan,' she regretted.Visitors found Tariq Kakar's sculptures unique, more adventurous because of the abstract element. Most were inspired from a woman's figure. 'I thought of making something abstract, which is my second subject.

People are hesitant to put statutes of realistic work in their houses and prefer something with hidden meanings,' said the sculptor explaining his reason to deviatefrom the realistic form of sculpting.

He lamented that the realistic art of sculpting was losing its charm and attraction with most artists because of the technicalities and laws governing the art.

Nonetheless, Tariq Kakar could not resist but sculpt his favourite subject horses.

The exhibition features his new works in metal, wood and fiber. The exhibition will continue till January 26.