Artists have their distinct ways of construing the unpalatable incidents and events that happen around them on a regular basis. Some take these incidents seriously and highlight the negativity that comes out of them. Others look for a silver lining (call them optimists or the ones who see the glass half full). Both have their merits and demerits. Ideally, those who try and portray the darker side should have more force in their work, which is why those who opt for the latter option and yet come up trumps in artistic terms deserve all the more praise.

Muhammad Zeeshan is an established name in Pakistani art. He constantly strives to do something which is off the beaten track, wisely so, because the beaten track can stultify an artist’s growth. One such attempt was witnessed at an exhibition of his recent works at Karachi’s Canvas Gallery. The display was titled, ‘The special siri series’. What’s a siri? Well, it basically means the head of an animal.

Zeeshan has used the head as a symbol, both of the victorious and that of the vanquished. Throughout the history of mankind the issue of lusting after someone’s blood in order to assume power or gain authority has defined groups, nations or countries. This may sound like a gory, repulsive idea. The artist does not think like that. He, in his work, has given it a less gloomy feel, quite convincingly.

There is an element of filminess about the whole theme of the exhibition, and the artist himself has conceded that. The goriness that one sees in the movies often leads to the eventual, if not ultimate, triumph of the good over the evil. This can be a debatable issue. However, the viewer cannot dispute the fact that Zeeshan has produced some fine artworks in his endeavour to explore the ‘siri’ culture. And to give it a peculiar twist, he has employed a relatively new technique: laser scoring with gouache on wasli.