A ‘Déjà vu’ of emotions

Three budding artists with distinct styles exhibit their work at Jharoka.

ISLAMABAD: Jharoka Art Gallery stays true to its aim of promoting budding artists. The gallery has brought a collection of art work by three new artists to the limelight this Valentine’s Day. Sundas Matloob Rana, Madiha Jaleel and Uzma Farooqi displayed an eclectic collection under the umbrella name of Déjà’ Vu. The distinct styles and creative aesthetics of each artist can be spotted instantaneously.

The artists highlight their inner emotions through unique themes. The collection that really jumps out at the viewer is Sundas Matloob Rana’s take on existence through the perspective of a blind person. Using brail letters to highlight the context of each piece of art, the artist uses red blood cells, neurons and medical diagrams of the eye to depict the origins of man and the way the roots of evolution can be traced.

Inspired by surrealism, my work is metamorphic and has symbolic meaning,” said Rana, one of the artists. The use of a pulsating colour palate attracts viewers to this psychedelic collection.

Madhia Jaleel on the other hand uses darker, greyer tones to shade her ideas. Commenting on the issue of women empowerment and progression, the artist depicts the modern woman enveloped by the difficulties she faces in the society. With images showing women as shoes symbolizes that they are fighters and can go on regardless of the hardships they encounter along the way. Women wrapped in barbed wire also manifest the same ideology.

Uzma Farooqi, a recent graduate in MA English Literature and also a BA Fine Arts, showcases her work on the memoirs of the milestones in one’s life. The artist uses postage stamps to highlight certain private memories that are etched in the minds of an individual.

These memories are stamped and can be recollected at any point. “There are many things we want to let go of but we never do,” said Farooqi.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 15^th, 2011.