Paintings or photographs?: Artist captures spirit of everyday life

Aamir Ahmed Qureshi's exhibition showcases his drawing and painting skills

KARACHI: On first glimpse, the still life paintings by artist Aamir Ahmed Qureshi could easily be mistaken for photographs.

The detail with which each stroke has been applied makes his work, being showcased at Citi Art Gallery, realistic and flawless. The work captures the spirit of the artist's everyday life and what is present around him.

Qureshi is a Karachi-based artist who studied at Institute of Arts and Craft at Arts Council. Being associated with the profession of advertising, for Qureshi, painting is a hobby that he often indulges after being done with the day's work.



In this particular exhibition, he has focused on showcasing his drawing and painting skills and both have been worked upon with great sensitivity. It seems as if Qureshi imagined himself being present in the surroundings he has painted and made the objects his centre of attention; be it a table with a pot and lantern or a window or a door in a veranda.

A white cloth with cut work and strings on its borders is a repetitive feature in his paintings. At times as a table cloth or as a sheet lying randomly on a sofa, the cloth is the means through which Qureshi has challenged himself.

"If I had used a plain, simple cloth it wouldn't give off a still concept. I wanted to give myself tough time by working on its details," said the artist while talking to The Express Tribune.



Another noticeable feature in his work is how he has given different treatment to light. As brightness or shadows are appearing as light and dark, the shades appear to give almost a real feel to his scenes as if it's happening right in front of you.

"Light and dark contrast is very important to me in this work," he said, adding that it's the very first time he has exhibited his work based on oil and canvas.

The exhibition is open for viewing till June 4, 2016.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 1^st, 2016.