Art exhibition: Budding artists present collection at Jharoka

Hajra Mansoor, pioneer female artist, tells students to 'think out of the box'.

ISLAMABAD:

Jharoka Art Gallery brings to Islamabad a collection of eight recent graduates from National College of Art, Lahore. Minal Iftikhar, Ayesha Azam, Farah Munawar, Syeda Nabaa Ali, Sehar Hashmi, Sarah Baloch, Nageen Yousaf and Ayesha Abbas all displayed their works.

The show was inaugurated by Hajra Mansoor, pioneer female artist and possessor of Pride of Performance Award. In her inaugural address, she advised the artists to “think out of the box and not replicate what has already been created”.

“It is important for an artist to be creative and copying work from photographs should not be how art students should execute their work,” she said.

The budding artists showcased their most recent works, which though amateur were a good effort on their part. With the exception of three artists, the rest of the collection lacked cohesiveness and movement of thought process.

Nahida Raza, director and owner of Jharoka Art Gallery, takes pride in upholding the artwork of different styles. “One can see very vast difference in techniques and way of using the palette. There is tremendous difference between qualified and self taught artists,” says Raza.

Variations from miniature, oil painting and print making are all found in the exhibit at the gallery. Minal Iftikhar’s series of print making collection is very detailed and interesting as it focuses on the void that abandoned relationships create within an individual. The artist comments on the lack of a father figure in her life. The black and white images, though executed well composition wise, lacked originality in style.

Issues of confinement and adoption were also raised. However, the budding artists need more exposure and abstraction to enhance their skill and talent further. The exhibit should be taken as an educational critique of these graduates’ work and collectors can provide insightful information regarding their work.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 30^th, 2011.