ISLAMABAD, Sept 26: Ghulam Mustafa, a Lahore based painter, through his paintings brings the warmth and vivaciousness of Lahore to Islamabad.

His new exhibition titled ‘Kaleidoscope by Sunlight’ opening on Thursday will capture eye catching details of magnificent sunlight — shades and shadows included.

Gallery 6 will not just open its doors to some ordinary landscape images but will include the charms of simple surroundings, usually on large scale canvasses and kaleidoscopic effects created by sunlight on the interior of the walled city of Lahore and its  the narrow lanes.

He is a prominent artist of the School of Punjab Landscapes, initiated by his teacher the legendary landscape painter Khalid Iqbal.

Many of his paintings reflect the architectural heritage of the area — the walled city of Lahore where he was born.

There are scenes as seen through the city gates, in Kashmiri Bazaar and from balconies. One can see the people moving in lanes, some bicycling, puris being made in roadside restaurants, kites flying — thriving symbols of life in the rich cultural city of Lahore.

Art critic Marjorie Hussain described his works saying: “Exploring his paintings, one discovers an atmosphere that reveals the charm of the pattern elicited from the humblest surroundings…Mustafa’s work is a commitment to art…About the city he loves.

He evokes a surreal sense of drama in the use of light and texture. One’s imagination is titillated by the touches of lively colour against dark tones. There are areas in which the brushstrokes of objects are blurred at the edges creating an atmosphere that subtly introduces social, political and environmental issues.”

Besides the architecturally rich scenes and remnants of the past, the artist also painted the green parks, blossoming trees, rural life and scenes of Murree Hills.

Still-life paintings of teapots, cups, glasses and other utensils placed in a shade on a window of a tea-hut in the mountains are as striking as the bright blossoming amaltas in sunshine.

According to a visitor: “This reflects his ability to paint anywhere without being disturbed by the hustle-bustle of the surroundings. He paints with details, making the viewer move into the focused spot, characteristic of a mature painter.”

Commenting on his work, Dr Arjumand Faisel, the curator of gallery 6, said: “Ghulam Mustafa’s absorbing paintings of streets and alleys filled with different characters and characteristics reminds me of the stories and characters of the famous writer Naguib Mahfouz, the winner of the Nobel prize from Egypt.”

Ghulam Mustafa received the National Prize in genre of landscape paintings at the 7th National Visual Arts Exhibition in 1996 and in 2002 he was honoured with President’s Pride of Performance Award.

He was also the recipient of numerous honours from various exhibitions, both in Pakistan and abroad.

He has held more than 50 solo and group shows in the last 24 years and is also the founder of the Artists’ Association of Punjab, where he served as General Secretary.