Mistress of choice. Photo: Courtesy Chawkandi Art Gallery
The exhibition, 'All that Glistens is not Gold', opened on Tuesday. The vulnerability and fragility of life is glossed over by a veneer of exaggerated, narcissistic pampering of self in Khan's work.
Khan is a contemporary visual artist and art instructor from Lahore. She has conducted classes on miniature painting in New York and Texas in the United States and has recently returned from teaching a course on miniature painting at the International Summer Academy of Salzburg, Austria.
After being awarded a scholarship, Khan completed her Bachelors in Fine Arts at National College of Arts in 2012, specialising in miniature painting. She has had several solo exhibitions and has participated in significant group shows, both nationally and internationally.
Using bright colours, patterns and different postures, Khan weaves bubbled life into the paintings through a play of mediums. Her work portrays a humorous and empathetic way of expression. In the painting entitled, 'Two rich and precious stones', the figures come across as strong metaphors of the artist's consciousness. The dominant gold as a base is accentuated by a halo of exotic flora in a fine blend of colours. The titles of the work and the exhibition are derived from Shakespearean plays that talk about the basic human flaw of relying on the superficial.
Specialising in the traditional techniques of Mughal and Persian miniature painting, Khan uses natural pigments, kalam and wasli. The kalam is a handcrafted brush that the painter assembles herself for fine pardakht and Wasli paper is another handcrafted essential used as the surface. A 24 karat gold leaf is improvised to serve as a medium that connects the gilded extravaganza of metal with a lavish lifestyle.
The show continues till November 28.
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