Unbound vibrancy: A splash of colours at Full Circle Gallery

Artists branch out to various mediums, techniques during show

KARACHI: A group of artists have made abundant use of colours and technique at their recent exhibition at Full Circle Gallery that opened for the public last week. Though the subjects they explore may vary, all of the artists have exhibited an unrestricted use of colour, brush strokes and overall treatment.

For instance, Mehtab Ali has depicted South Asian women with elaborate hairstyles, vivid dresses and characteristic jewellery, such as jhumkas and necklaces. A figurative painter whose work is inclined towards romanticism, the women in Ali's artwork are of different moods; some shy behind a door, others display more liberated body language. It is as if the artist has shown the many dimensions and frequencies that South Asian women live in and feels that to fit them in a single mould would be difficult and perhaps, not so true an interpretation. "Every painting is a story. These women are actually inspired by [women in] rural areas who wear bright colours and abundant jewellery," he said.





Other than this, Ali's expertise lies in miniatures, calligraphy and portraits, all of which he has created using a myriad of mediums such as pastel colours, water colours and pen and ink.

Syed Mohammad Naqvi, on the other hand, has expressed himself through lyrical abstraction. His strokes are visible and thick, as if suggesting impulsiveness and an expression that is in-the-moment. "I take liberties in altering colour and form in ways that are conspicuous and achieve total abstraction," said the artist in his statement. He went on to say that the aim is to achieve complete abstraction so much so that it holds no trace of reference to anything recognisable. Another set of acrylic paintings that strikes one is the whirl of a dervish, as uniform as layers of the sky at sunset.



On spirituality, artist Khuzro Subzawar has shown whirling dervishes that drift between abstraction and concrete.

Coming from the canvases as pure mysticism in electric blue shades with the distinctive cap signifying the status of a dervish, the straight flair of the dervish's dress compels the viewer to look at it differently as if the amidst all the chaos around him, his presence is the only definite element. Along the same line of thought is Javed Qamar's calligraphy. The verses have been treated with a flawless finish, the colours complimenting each other beautifully.



The exhibition will be on display till June 17.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 2^nd, 2016.