KARACHI: The Renaissance was not just a significant shift in the history of mankind in terms of the revival of knowledge (of Greek ideas, to be precise). It also marked an extraordinary confluence of art and religion. The paintings made in that era (not to mention plays, poems and essays) pulled out Biblical references and allusions from the domain of the clergy and took, nay elevated, them to a level where religion and aesthetics came together in an awe-inspiring manner.

Artist Komail Aijazuddin, an exhibition of whose latest body of work titled ‘Pray Tell’ opened at the Canvas Art Gallery on Tuesday, seems to be inspired by the way western masters employed religious orientation to send across a, perhaps, bigger message.

Aijazuddin has tried to go a step ahead. He has used somewhat a similar technique to touch upon important Islamic events, especially from the Shia perspective. For the uninitiated, it might take some time to grasp the artist’s endeavour. But once the viewer feels the poignancy of the theme, which is shahadat or martyrdom, it would be hard not to acknowledge two things: Aijazuddin’s intensity with which he has been able to interpret the historic events and the finesse that appears to be the standout characteristic of his technical prowess.