Evocative art exhibit invites introspection

'Figure, form & field' draws attention to the self beyond the physical body

ISLAMABAD:

The "Figure, Form & Field" exhibition which brings together nine Pakistani artists: Asif Hussain, Asrar Farooqi, Behzad Ahmed Warsi, Duraeshawar Tariq, Hassan Rana, Muhammad Jawad Ahmed Jan, Nimrah Ansar Khatana, Quratulain Dar and Samiya Mahir Sheikh recently opened at Gallery 6 Islamabad.

The exhibition explores the figure beyond the body, as character, alter ego, animal, anonymous presence, fragmented identity, or implied absence - through which memory, identity, desire, conflict, belonging and inner experience take form. What connects these diverse practices is their use of the figure and its surrounding field to navigate personal, social, cultural, emotional and imagined worlds.

Behzad Ahmed Warsi's series Veil of Resilience reflects on the fragility of life through human and animal forms, colour and shadow. In The Face of Oppression, a red-clad, faceless figure stands behind a tiger partially concealed by a dark veil, creating a powerful tension between vulnerability and strength.

Quratulain Dar, winner of the First Prize in the National Biennial Arjumand Painting Award 2023, examines the intersection of socio-political structures and personal narratives through a fictional female alter ego inspired by the Punjabi folk figure Jugni.

Asrar Farooqi began as a cinema signboard painter before training under Ghulam Rasool and Mansoor Rahi. Bringing an Impressionist sensibility to scenes of everyday life, his paintings of balloon sellers moving through urban streets transform familiar moments into emotional impressions where memory, movement and imagination converge.

Nimrah Ansar Khatana, recipient of the NCA Merit Scholarship for three consecutive years, explores cultural memory, identity, and transformation. Drawing on childhood memories of Phulkari traditions, she incorporates their motifs into birds and animals.

Asif Hussain's work examines unfulfilled longing through the emotional landscape of Punjabi folklore. A guinea fowl gazing at the moon and a groom holding a wedding veil become symbols of desire, love, separation and loss, embodying the tension between hope and impossibility.

Duraeshawar Tariq, recipient of the Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation grant for three consecutive years, explores the space between serenity and melancholy. Drawing from personal experience and cultural influences, she creates introspective narratives around identity, longing, and emotional vulnerability that resonate beyond the personal.

Hassan Rana, a visual artist and educator, works across painting, printmaking, photography, mixed media, and diorama. His recent three-dimensional dioramas and miniature environments combine weathered architectural surfaces with carefully constructed objects, creating quiet, uninhabited scenes that invite viewers to pause and engage through their own perceptions.

Samiya Mahir Sheikh, with a background in media and cultural entrepreneurship, explores identity, emotion, and belonging through satire, symbolism, acrylics, and mixed media. In her work, animal figures become a shifting collage of culture, memory, performance, and instinct—continuously assembled and reassembled as an evolving reflection of self.

Art lovers in Islamabad and Rawalpindi have the opportunity to view "Figure, Form & Field" at Gallery 6, F-6 Markaz, until September 9, 2026.