On display: A bird’s-eye view

Exhibition featuring Hyderabad-based artist underway

LAHORE: A solo exhibition featuring the work of Hussain Chandio, a Hyderabad-based artist, commenced on Thursday at Hamail Art gallery.

With over 41 pieces on display, Chandio’s work presents a unique bird’s eye view of interior Sindh and the culture of Thar. The artist obtained a master’s in fine arts from the Jamshoro University Sindh in 2000 and has been painting since then. Scenic Journeys—his fifth solo show-- features subjects such as dancing malangs, and Thari women with children rendered in acrylic on canvas.

Chandio said he was the only artist in the nation to have elected to paint from the vantage point of a bird’s-eye to make his work conspicuous. “I’ve often used drone cameras to obtain aerial views. It depends on what grabs my attention,” he told The Express Tribune. 

Curator Jamil Ahmed said the idea behind showcasing Chandio’s work in Lahore was to introduce a new artist to the audience. Visitor Shagufta Butt, the brain behind the nation’s first comic con, said Chadio’s work was “out of the world.” She said his colour schemes, composition and choice of subjects was striking.  “From vivid colours of spring to the warmth of winter, one can see everything in his work. Though he (Chandio) himself hails from a backward area his work speaks volumes,” Butt said. She said he had managed to capture something as difficult as a bird’s-eye view masterly.

Visitor Mehreen Piracha said the painter’s work had left her mesmerised. “All of his paintings appear to follow suit in a continuous chain courtesy his unique style and dabbing of colours,” she said.

The exhibition will conclude on February 11.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 6^th, 2016.