Never before in the history of mankind have there been such enormous and densely populated urban areas as there are today and never before has there been such an intense desire to escape these areas.
Unceasing clamour and turmoil, particularly the ongoing mayhem specific to our volatile cities, compels inhabitants to seek tranquil spaces where the human psyche can pause, reflect and reinvigorate itself.
Gardens by the very nature of their inherent composition enable people to transcend their daily grind. Within the Islamic context, the key elements of flowing water, shade and exuberant foliage powerfully convey ideas of both spiritual and physical refreshment. The symbolism of an Islamic garden represents a universal theme — that of the understanding of nature and the universe.
The current exhibition at VM Gallery, Karachi, by Romilla Kareem titled as ‘Promised garden’, a variation of relief garden plans, draws inspiration from the Islamic Chahar Bagh or fourfold garden configuration. Classically, the Chahar Bagh is constructed around a central pool or fountain, with four streams flowing from it, representing the four main elements of life.
Such gardens are not only beautiful to behold and quiet places but are also (often unconsciously) a recreation of the heavenly garden, itself reflected within all of us — our inner garden: “Look for the garden within yourself, in your indestructible divine substance, which will then give you a new and imperishable garden”.
As an artist, Kareem references both the physical geometric structure and the transcendent meanings associated with these garden compositions. Her primary motive in accessing the garden concept was prompted by a need to locate a restful space, away from the daily bustle, where she and her family could refresh themselves in body and spirit. This initial exploration grew further as she contemplated on notions of self through Ziauddin Sardar’s article, A garden of identities.
Sardar writes, “Having some idea of who or what we are helps us to determine how we ought to live and conduct our daily affairs. A little self-knowledge also provides us with a little coherence in our metaphysical and moral outlooks. But in a rapidly globalising world, it is almost impossible to have even a modicum of self- knowledge. All those things that provided us with a sense of confidence in ourselves — such as nation states with homogenous populations, well-established local communities, unquestioned allegiance to history and unchanging tradition — have evaporated. The sources of our identity have been rendered meaningless.”
In order to give physical definition to this erosion and preservation of self, Kareem has devised a visual vocabulary comprising known images/symbols which she redefines to address her concerns. The human hand image with flowers is for her a symbol of hope and human search for peace and happiness. The pruned and rounded topiary trees are a metaphorical reference to the shape we give to our lives through our actions.
Relief casts of pathways implies all those routes which can lead to the garden which we either make for ourselves or which has already been designated for us. This aspect alludes to her daily life when she takes her children to the park as a reward. She says, “It acts as a sanctuary for us, a place of refuge and contemplation where one finds the opportunity to think about creating new paths to a garden.”
Her works manifested as relief and mixed media paintings and an installation are essentially a combination of print, sculpture and miniature art. The relief sculptures are cast in sandstone, and the screen printing and painting are executed on wasli. By far the most striking among her wall pieces is the massive sand stone mural ‘Garden of hope — homage to Chahar Bagh’ comprising tiles arranged in the Chahar Bagh grid with topiary trees on either side.
The textural simulation of water waves and channels and streams as well as floral and foliate forms in sandstone is a testimonial of her technical creativity.
An artist, printmaker, educator (ex faculty member of Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture and presently Karachi School of Art) art consultant and interior and landscape designer she has amassed considerable grassroots knowledge but it is her printmaker’s attitude that defines her penchant for the ‘process’ of art making.
She brings as much, if not more, enthusiasm to innovation in work processes she does to the conceptualisation of ideas. Currently the considerable sandstone application in her work is the result of a new formula painstakingly perfected by her.
Viewed collectively almost all the artworks relate to the premise in construction of form and texture but in general observance the essential feel of a garden image is one of visual beauty. In Kareem’s work this sensation is disturbed by the cloud of muddy hues that shrouds the entire exhibition.
Most of the relief works conform to a palette of murky bronze and grey tonalities and she has brought the same earthy hues to her wasli paintings by staining the paper with tea and coffee washes. The bracing shot of chromatic cheer and liveliness is missing — is this a reflection of the times also?