Solo show opens at Rohtas II Gallery

The series features nine oil paint and gesso paintings. The exhibit will end on September 17

LAHORE: Nine paintings are being showcased at Rohtas II Art Gallery as part of Sara Riaz Khan’s solo exhibition titled At The Land’s End. The exhibition opened on Tuesday and will end on September 17. Khan has used oil paint and gesso for her abstract art pieces. Talking to The Express Tribune, Khan said she had taken inspiration from nature for her work. “I am also interested in ideas which bring people together. In an increasingly divisive world, an appreciation of nature can help us understand ourselves and others,” she said.

“I prefer to paint with bright colours. They are exciting,” she said. She said she had used oil and gesso to build texture and enhance depth. “When I start working on a painting, I usually have a plan for its composition and structure. After some time, however, the painting takes over.”

Speaking about the exhibition, she said, “I enjoyed challenges of working on a large scale. I hope to continue exploring expressing concepts. Presently, I am not certain about what I will find At The Land’s End or when I will get there, but I know I am on the way.”

Talking to The Express Tribune, National College of Arts former principal Salima Hashmi said, the exhibit was a departure from the routine for Rohtas Gallery. “We don’t usually see exhibitions on abstract paintings here. Khan’s work is meticulously rendered and is very refreshing. I find the work to be very meditative. It reminds one of peaceful solitude and beautiful landscapes,” Hashmi said. “I find [these paintings] extremely soothing,” she added.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 8^th, 2016.