Beauty And Danger: Paintings highlight socio-political situation

Eleven art pieces, all miniature paintings or gouache on wasli, by Beenish Usman are currently on display in Rohtas 2.

LAHORE:

Eleven art pieces, all miniature paintings or gouache on wasli (archival paper), by Beenish Usman are currently on display in Rohtas 2.

The exhibition, titled Sublime, is Usman’s first solo show, where she has related the absence of human figures in her paintings with the time when schools in Lahore were closed because of security threats.

“I have painted the current socio-political situation in the country by focusing on security barriers around schools, offices, and other places,” Usman said.

“The beautiful landscape in my paintings conveys spectators the message that they should got out of their houses for recreation and work, but at the same time be cautious of the barriers that might hold them back,” she said. Usman is a graduate in miniature painting from the National College of Arts in 2009.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 31^st, 2011.