Exhibition attracts large crowd in capital

A solo exhibition of veteran artist Atif Khan titled 'Assorted Tales’ attracted a large number of people at the Satrang Gallery on Sunday.

Khan is a printmaker and teaches at the Department of Fine Arts at the Lahore National College of Arts (NCA). He expands the time zone of his works using mythical and historical references, which beautifully bring together the past, present, and future. Khan participated in the very first exhibition at Satrang Gallery, ten years ago in January 2012, and is now presenting his new works in a solo exhibition.

Using his own life and surroundings as references, and embellishing through history and visual symbols, his artworks create glimpses of alternative realms with elements of the familiar.

His work invites the viewer to join the artist within his artworks, as he traverses the surrounding landscape, and engages in various activities deep within these ‘Assorted Tales.’

Khan graduated with a distinction in 1997 in fine arts from the NCA. In his illustrious career spanning 24 years, he has seen a plethora of international awards, residencies, and workshops. In 1998, he was awarded the 'UNESCO-ASHBURG Bursary for Artists,’ and was appointed the ‘Artist in Residence’ at the Darat-Al-Funun in Amman, Jordan. He also received the ‘Commonwealth Arts & Crafts Award' in 2007. Khan was the ‘Artist in Residence’ at the Swansea Print Workshop in Wales in 2005, the London Print Studio in England 2008, and the Glasgow Print Studio in Scotland 2008.

He has shown his work in several prestigious museums, including the Bradford Museum in the UK, the Aga Khan Museum in Canada, the Sharjah Art Museum in the UAE, and the Islamic Museum of Australia in Australia. He has also participated in art workshops in Bangladesh, India, Jordan, and the UK.

In 2015, he won the Lahore Biennale Foundations Open Call competition titled 'Intersections,’ and developed the large-scale site-specific installation, ‘City within a City' at the Chowk Istanbul in Lahore, Pakistan.

His current body of work at display is based on his ongoing visual storytelling, which revolves around imaginary and mystic landscapes.

These stories, their characters, and environments are informed by his surroundings, his experiences, and his imaginations.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 27^th, 2021.