Painting exhibition: Welcome break from ‘depressing’ art

Artist says most of his work depicts places that left a mark on him.

LAHORE:

The use of soft tones and painting of scenic landscapes is a welcome break from the depression and gloom that seems to be the focus of most art exhibitions now-a-days, designer Mohsin Naqvi said on Friday.

He was speaking about the paintings of Nazir Ahmad, a National College of Arts graduate, at the Co-opera Art Gallery.He said the colours used in the paintings were in total harmony.

He said he particularly liked the way green was used in a balanced manner.

Nearly 150 students and artists visited the gallery on the first day of the exhibition. Of the 84 works displayed, 18 were sketches and drawings, 20 were water colours and the rest oil painting.

Shaista Pervaiz Malik, an art enthusiast, inaugurated the exhibition at a ceremony attended by Industries Secretary Dr Shujat Ali, Finance Secretary Tariq Mehmood Pasha and artists Dr Ajaz Anwar, Ghulam Mustafa, Ghualm Mohiuddeen and Zahra David.

Nazir Ahmad said he drew inspiration from nature and that most of the paintings were a tribute to Lahore. He said he had painted the banks of River Ravi and other scenes of the city to highlight how Lahore was changing with time and because of human activity.

He said most of his paintings were portrayal of places that had left an impression on him.

He said he liked using soft colours and shades.

To capture the exact atmosphere, he said, he had relied on careful dabs and strokes to show bright light and shadows. Fareeha, a visitor, said she felt the best aspect of the paintings was their simplicity. “Nothing seems to have been overdone. They represent the perfect balance in nature,” she said.The exhibition will continue till May 27 at the Co-opera Art Gallery.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 14^th, 2011.