Not just skin deep: Artist brings out eternal beauty through art

Shammi Ahmed draws inspiration from Indus Valley Civilisation

KARACHI: A thing of beauty is a joy, forever.

The line by John Keats sums up the experience of the viewers at Momart Gallery's latest exhibition, titled 'Beauty is Eternal'.

The show depicts 27 paintings brought to life through the medium of oil on canvas. Talking about the medium, artist Shammi Ahmed said "I love to paint with oil [paints]. This exhibition itself took two years to mature as it is a difficult process altogether."

The dominant image in her paintings is a figure of a woman merged with images from Moen Jo Daro and Harappa civilisations. One painting depicts a face divided into two parts, with one half showcasing the face of a woman and the other the face of 'priest-king' sculpture. Another depicts a woman with a basket of oxen on her head. One painting also brings into picture perhaps the Indus script. The works allow the viewers to get in touch with their roots by focusing on Indus Valley civilisation.



Talking about her solo exhibition, artist Shammi Ahmed said "I love to draw figurative." The artist has been drawing for the past 30 years and this is her third solo show.

"Though, this is my third solo show, I have had many group shows within the country as well as in Dubai and London," she added.

Considering that art as something which holds importance for her, she remarked "[my art and art studio] are just like my kids. [They are] very dear to me." She also remarked that art has considerably thrived in Karachi. "The clientele has improved. Previously, people who were 40 [years old] and above used to appreciate art pieces, but now more young people have become involved." Moreover, the number of artists is increasing and along with them so are the numbers of galleries and buyers, she added.

Ahmed attributes her success to her mentor Jamil Naqsh and remarked that he taught her in 'a different way'. "He told me to visualise [my painting]. It was never through brush but through pure visualisation," she said. The exhibition at Momart Gallery, located near Bilawal Chowrangi, Clifton, continues till November 26.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 9^th, 2016.