Reminiscence: Life under the Molsri tree

Long-cherished fragrance turns into an art show

KARACHI:

The exhibition at the Koel gallery provided a serene atmosphere. It was like resting under the shade of an old tree where one can breathe in a carefree world.

Noorjehan Bilgrami's show opened at Koel gallery on Thursday evening and will run till February 9. "The fragrance reminded her of her childhood," said curator Maha Malik. "When she sensed it in Karachi, she began looking for where it came from and realised it came from the molsri tree. It reminded the artist of the time spent around this tree as she grew up playing under [the shade of the] molsri tree in Hyderabad Deccan. Decades later, she found this fragrance here."

The Molsri tree is indigenous to the subcontinent. However, it is found less in Pakistan. It is known for the fragrance that its flowers give off.

"Molsri is the magic portal out of which this show emerged", said Malik. The works of art on the wall showed the world of memories up front while the ones placed inside the glass were like a reminder of the way we hold feelings inside and move through the world.

The amalgamation of deep-rooted family photos with drawings, graphics, paint and dashed lines made the artworks look like they came right out of an old sophisticated scrapbook with the recurring motif of Molsri. This scrapbook came to life in the 'Safar' series where the elements gained a third dimension. Small 'potlis' [bundles], used by people to store their belongings during travel, were prominent in these artworks.

The idea of this show was conceived as a result of a series of conversations between Malik and Bilgrami. Malik came up with the concept while Bilgrami brought the thought to life with the help of her experience with the materials. The photos used are of personal and extended family members of early 1900s.

Bilgrami's personal relationship with indigo is apparent in the artworks. She has made her textile work contemporary with the help of graphics and mixed media.

The mediums used include graphite, acrylics, rice paper, indigo-dyed cloth, silk and malmal cloth. A rhythm was apparent in the repetition of some of the photographs, echoing the memory of a person once held close. It was carefully placed like a larger-than-life family scrapbook in her own gallery.

The video, titled 'Tasavvur-e-Nir', seemed to be an odd placement among the other artworks as it was the juxtaposition of different inspirations and mediums.

As the characters in the photos stare back at the audience, the artwork seems to be reminding one of the old values looking deep into the modern audience. The mystery of these photos drew the audience but their completeness made one wish there could have been more mystery in the way they were composed. The viewer wishes for enough mystery to keep going back and continue exploring. But such is the nature of memories; they are what they are.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 31^st, 2015.