Come one, come all to see the emperor’s new clothes

Artist Muhammad Ali explores the dark side of consumerism in his show

KARACHI: Consumerism is rampant in our lives today, but how many people realise that it is present in art and images as well? Artist Muhammad Ali has fleshed this concept out for viewers in his exhibition, titled 'Emperor's Real Clothes' at Canvas Gallery.



Using oil paint on canvas, he has toyed with the images of the Virgin Mary and Mona Lisa, adding a pizza from Pizza Hut or a can of Pepsi to show the true extent of consumerism in our society.

"These are mere questions with no real answers," explained Ali. "It's a whole bunch of consumerism out there combined with a populist image; it's something you can see openly in my work alongside my own critique of the artwork. Look at the finished product, not just words or writings on the wall. There is a whole range of artwork that speaks of either corporations or commodities, of contemporary celebrities and of popular culture," he said. That is precisely what Ali's work does, too.

Oops! did I buy champagne instead of milk again?

Canvas Gallery owner Sameera Raja says she has been following Ali's work since 2010 - the year of his thesis at Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture - and she has only seen the young artist grow.

Through the lenses of time

"I followed his work for a while and he has evolved as an artist," she said. "From a performance artist to a sculptor, there has been a use of cross-mediums, which shows that Ali is truly an artist. Every time he shows with us, it is something new, which is different [from] before and under a new theme."

In this show, Raja stressed that she likes three particular aspects of his work - the concept of corporate branding in a contemporary setting, the use of past objects and artwork and, finally, the East-West combination on the floor of the artwork.

I’d like to fly, but my wings have been so denied

The nine art pieces on display gave viewers much to think about, in terms of the growth of the corporate world and the importance of commodities and the society's reliance on the two.

The exhibition will continue till October 27.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 19^th, 2016.