Distinct and diverse: Artists celebrate women’s achievements

Artists from diverse backgrounds explore varied art mediums

ISLAMABAD:

A diverse range of artistic influences was on display on Tuesday at an exhibition highlighting the achievements of women across the globe.

Titled “Dreams and Reality”, the exhibition at Nomad Art Gallery (NAG) coincides with International Women’s Day.

It features oil and acrylics on canvas, silkscreen print on paper, mixed media on canvas, relief on acrylic and watercolours on art card and oil canvas.

The exhibition showcases works by Akram Dost, Tabinda Chinoy, Liudmila Lopez Dominguez and Manon Saur.

The works displayed are distinct from each other because the artists come from extremely diverse backgrounds.

Dost is from Quetta, while Dominguez is of Cuban origin.

The works displayed are not only remarkable but also make the viewer think that these art pieces definitely have a subliminal message behind the obvious statement they try to make.

The finishing in terms of framing is however disappointing. One of Chinoy’s works and one of the highest priced paintings featured in the exhibition has chipped sides and framing, which ruins beauty of the piece.

Similarly, Dost’s work beautifully celebrated women, perfect for the women’s day theme but better framing and nicer canvases would have truly displayed beauty and expertise of the acclaimed artist that he is.

The artists, however, have undeniably explored different mediums of art beautifully to convey their message across.



NAG Director Nageen Hyat, while speaking to The Express Tribune, said that the exhibition was a great representation because the artists have diverse backgrounds. “Akram represents Balochistan while Tabinda is a very strong artist and the other two represent diverse nations like Australia and Cuba. Moreover, we have gone across gender to represent ideology towards women’s day to create a striking statement,” she said.

An interesting feature of the exhibition is Dominguez’s work. The artist lives and works in Cuba and has had more than 20 solo shows in Spain and Greece and participated in nearly 100 group exhibitions in Mexico, US, Spain, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Pakistan, Dominican Republic, Australia and Cuba, as well as in contemporary art fairs such as Artbo and Estampa.

Chinoy said that this exhibition is where her paintings truly belong. “Dreams because for me giving up is not an option, and reality because women in my country, Pakistan, face the chasm between dreams and reality. Our women are warm, brave and resilient but trapped in archaic, often bestial traditions and customs. I paint these women, their fears, hopes and aspirations,” she said.

Dost draws inspiration from socio-political issues in the region. “In my paintings, I have tried to highlight certain unwelcomed facts and create a dialogue, which is an invitation to remedy the apathy towards, or the reluctance to deal with serious moral and social demands,” he said.

Saur, an Australian artist who believes that the concept of relationships between people, curves and volume of their bodies and heads, angles of architecture denoting space and depth is an approximate representation reflecting recognisable matter and emotions. “I contemplate irresistibly, necessity and absurdity of social behaviour, attempting to create a scene which intrigues and is both intentional and unsettling. The hardest things about being an artist is to be original and to commit to evolve, and to always strive to express oneself in new and surprising ways,” she said.

The exhibition is ongoing till March 10.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 10^th, 2016.