Varied flavour: The art of diversity

Each of the three artists featured at the gallery has something different to offer.

ISLAMABAD:

Each of the three artists being featured at Jharoka Art Gallery has something different to offer. Their distinctly different styles and choice of colour palate diversify the aesthetic appeal of the exhibition, opened on Monday and will continue till March 25.

Nahida Raza of Jharoka said, “It does not matter to me if the artists are old or established. I only select works that are strong artistically.”

Zahra Kazmi, new talent on the block, is a Kenyan-born artist based in Islamabad. Her exquisite collection, depicting masks from different regions of the world, was an instant hit and captured the eyes of critics and visitors alike.

The masquerade collection imbibes rich colour and texture in order to portray the artist’s view of the world. To Kazmi the world is a masquerade and each individual wears a mask at all times and sometimes it becomes hard to distinguish between “the original and the disguise”.

“The reason I have deliberately not painted eyes on these faces is that we can look into someone’s eyes and yet be deceived,” said Kazmi. “It is the deception that has driven me to create this collection.”

Ali Abrar, a Karachi-based artist, uses mixed medium to focus on buildings and Islamic architecture in his work. The bold lines define the structure of various architectural landmarks and present a kaleidoscopic view of infrastructure. Even though the work was well-crafted, the aesthetic appeal of the work was somehow limited to a minority of art lovers.

Lastly, Sarah Sheikh’s colourful abstract and modernistic work took over a significant part of the show. Inspired by the reflection of nature and concrete jungle in a water body, Sheikh’s work revolves around the periscope of cities and the lack of admiration for the details man puts in his daily life. Even though the concept and style was different, Sheikh’s work resonates with Samina Ali Akhtar’s work strongly -- the colours and medium used gives the viewer a case of a severe déjà vu.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 17^th, 2011.