The solo exhibition of 20 paintings by Sumera Jawad was put on display at a press preview held here at the Nomad Art Gallery on Wednesday. The exhibit “Koi Kuchho Kahay Mann Laaga” captures women imagery with the use of red hues, as the artist endeavours to feel and analyse the image of women in histories and cultures across the world.
The artist’s collection of mixed media paintings will be open to public on April 14 and continue till April 30.
The modern woman in her work, with the use of broad brush strokes, evokes a strong sense of confidence and at the same time a tender vulnerability. Red colour dominates her work, producing a riot of contrasting tones. Her ability and grasp over the mediums she explores in her paintings adds to the visual tension on her canvasses and make her work a visual treat. Her current exhibition is a continuation of her past few years of work, which depicts personal and social influences of time and space.
“The continuity of tradition, linking each present with its past, has been presented in my paintings through colours,” said Jawad, the artist. “I knocked at the timeless doors of mythology, where every civilization keeps its perceptions and symbols, whether they are accepted values or rejected taboos layered in a well-crafted system of motifs, analogies and themes,” she said.
The artist said she has long been interested in the images of goddess and the journey of these images towards, and in relation with, modern contemporary women. “The figure I paint more or less represents someone, but at the same time it crosses over and is changed to symbolise all of us,” she added.
The roots of painting or image making in Pakistan can be traced back to the Indus Valley Civilization. Many art traditions flourished in the region and each of these left their mark in Pakistan. The artist said that the women in our culture have articulated very strongly in all forms of arts and crafts. Sumera’s PhD research led her to explore the various forms of femininity as depicted through the ages in the realm of visual arts.
According to art analysts, Sumera is an experimental artist who tries to challenge the conventions of her time. In her work, drawing plays a unique role, making it impressionistic and sketchyy.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 14th, 2011.
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