Coherent talk: Acknowledging the space of consciousness

Ayessha Quraishi discusses how she views the state of being through her artwork

KARACHI: Artist Ayessha Quraishi's latest collection at Koel Gallery, titled 'Open Presence', is an artwork that deals with oil on paper. The artist has now been using the medium of oil on paper for more than 30 years.

"I prefer to use paper instead of canvas because [it] feels better when I use it with my hands," said Quraishi. Her latest art pieces are certainly not void of any direction. "The subject matter gives you a direction. There are senses and a state of consciousness, which the viewer might perceive as an internal world and for me there is no barrier between these images [and myself]," added Quraishi. These are stark pieces of colour, not vibrant, but largely dull-coloured ones, she said.

"Over the years we have come to understand that things are either internal or external but it is [really] the language of the elements, which is the cohesiveness of life," she said. Quraishi believes that this requires one to be able to develop the sensibility of developing it. "Visual things are coherent, coming close to that what we call emotional things," she said. "However, pure knowledge lies outside of it. We humans, animals and plants are thus all vehicles to light."

Explaining her art pieces, Quraishi said they are more than a figment of her imagination and should be looked at as her extension. "We are vehicles of light, we need colour, form, understanding, not just in precision but in a good balance, to get a feel of and to be a part of the larger universe," she said.



Quraishi believes that whatever there is in the world, our perception begins to alter it, which creates a balance. However, she also believes that we are not balancing stuff and are rejecting it. She was of the view that this is leads to a depressive state. "We need to be joyous [as that is] what we were actually meant to be," she said, adding that she does not aim to discover something new through art but rather wants to bring on the forefront what is already there. "There is joy, which has vitality in there," she said.

Referring to these art pieces, Koel gallery owner Noorjehan Bilgrami said that there is depth in them at an emotional level. "Quraishi touches on the elements via colour and that stays true throughout these art pieces," she said.

The exhibition at the gallery will continue till September 17.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 5^th, 2016.