ISLAMABAD: Commercial gimmicks inspired the Lahore-based Hasnat Mehmood to come up with “Buy one, get one free”. The art exhibition is a jab at fraudulent or misleading advertising practices and opened at Rohtas Art Gallery on Friday.
The body of work emerged out of tags, according to Mehmood. “Ever so often, I’ve seen tags for western brands, inscribed with ‘Made in Pakistan’ or ‘Made in Sri Lanka’ or boasting of some other developing country,” said Mehmood.
The collection is inspired by the interaction between colonial countries. “I took this phenomenon from the business world and translated it into art,” he added.
His current work is a deviation from his usual style of miniatures. In the exhibition at Rohtas, he replicates paintings of international acclaim such as Vincent van Gogh’s “Starry Night”, but gives them a spin to incorporate political satire into his work.
“On one level, the images are simply replicas of famous art pieces. But the inscriptions send out important messages,” said Mehmood.
The text tells the story of each picture and their origins or influences. In doing so, the artist has tried to expose the system of dominance and reliance during the time of European colonialism. These images trace the history of foreign rule that marks this region.
The pieces are carefully selected images to pose questions and highlight relationships between colonialism and neo-colonial period that defines the contemporary moment.
The show will continue till December 31.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 24th, 2011.
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