Solo show: Celebrating (the small things) in life

PU College of Art and Design principal all praise for artist

LAHORE: “My work is about celebrating life,” artist Shazly Khan told The Express Tribune on Thursday on the sidelines of Celebrating Life—her solo show underway at Hamail Art Gallery.

The exhibition, that features 43 acrylic on canvas paintings, was inaugurated by the Punjab University (PU) College of Art and Design Principal Shahida Manzoor.

“There are things in life that we let go of and I believe those things should be held on to and be celebrated,” she said.  Khan said such seemingly mundane things could include smelling a rose, watching a sunset, spending time with friends, family or by oneself. “There is chaos always around you. If you don’t celebrate and cherish these things you won’t be able to survive,” she said.

A cup of tea is a recurring feature in Khan’s paintings. She describes it as a small gesture, or a thing that one does, when one takes out time for oneself. “This is the time you steal for yourself and momentarily forget all problems,” she said.  Khan said this was something worthy of being cherished but was often overlooked.

“You will observe that the colours used in the paintings are extremely vibrant. I have deliberately done this. If we don’t bring this in our life we won’t be able to elevate our mood,” she said.

Khan said she hailed from Karachi, a city replete with chaos. That is why, she said, such things mattered. “The figures in my work are elongated because I use it as a metaphor to depict amplified feelings,” she said.

Family Ties—one of Khan’s paintings—was selected by the United Nations (UN) and showcased in Milan for three months. She said that while her work was not primarily premised on feminism, it did celebrate the ideology.

“I use acrylic paints because they dry quickly and I feel here they do justice to my theme,” Khan said. She said she needed quick results as she was a mother-of-three. “Oil paints take too long to dry. A painting is not made in a day but using acrylic paints helps,” Khan said.

Manzoor heaped praised on the artist. “Khan’s one of the finest we have,” she said. Praising her choice of colours, she said Khan was extremely ingenious. Manzoor said the artist’s feelings showed through her paintings. “She portrays life in a positive light,” she said.

The exhibition will conclude on December 30.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 25^th, 2015.