Bhatti takes objects of everyday furniture, transforming them into pieces of art with a purpose and a function to adorn a drawing room, a living room or a bedroom. While the artist believes there is a niche market for such pieces the world over, they are for everyone since they may stand out in some houses.
The exhibition showcases a total of 12 such unique furniture pieces and 13 others of experimental photography that complement these furniture pieces. The photos adorning the gallery walls are abstract reflections of indigenous cultures of different places including Karachi where the artist comes from.
“Much of the technology we observe today can only be understood cognitively, never through the sense. The tactile nature of technology is an ethos of design and creativity which acknowledge the humanly physical, that which we can understand with our fingers,” said the artist, talking about his work.
Inspired by this philosophy, the functional objects are an interpretation of the past with a distinctly subversive twist. The design process salvages and redefines purposes in common materials through affectively un-labelling and re-branding that which has been cognitively discarded.
In the current exhibition, Bhatti has created meaningful and thought-provoking pieces out of seemingly mundane objects adding a touch of glamour to it. The art pieces are designed to adorn any living room, drawing room or bedroom and are atypical in their styling and colours.
The artist also employs truck art to brighten up the collection, ghungroos found outside truck exterior and a decorative piece at the front of trucks. However, he said, his truck art is not typical as it leans more on the vintage and rustic side. Some of these pieces are illuminated by light bulbs placed inside them and the use of wood and metal are evident in most of his works.
An interesting piece in the collection comprises a three-tier golden chandelier, made with keys of locks from across the world. The piece is inspired from the Locks of Love Bridge in France. Other pieces, however, are more classic and traditional such as the Anglo-Indian style wooden table with a brass inlay, reminiscent of old furniture but employing some modern influences.
“This collection is designed to make us rethink the way we look at ordinary things and to explore the dynamic between natural and industrial elements, sometimes by using unusual materials in furniture and incorporating both finished and rustic materials,” said Nageen Hyat, the gallery curator and owner. The exhibition will continue until September 30 daily from 10:30am to 7pm at House 72, Street 32, Sector F-6/1.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 25th, 2014.
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