Group exhibition: Frozen in time, the perpetual quest of soul searchers

Tri-artist series exploring diverse themes and traditions.


May 07, 2012

ISLAMABAD: A group exhibition of paintings on historical perspectives of human existence through contemporary art, is going on at Rohtas gallery.

Entitled “Soul Searchers”, the show spotlights a group of three artists namely Ahmed Ali Manganhar, Imran Channa and Aqeel Solangi.

Around 15 art pieces depict the series of works by the artists in mediums like graphite on paper, acrylics on board, acrylic, charcoal and graphite on paper and acrylics on canvas.

Channa’s “Memories” series explores that a photograph is the perfect picture of the past. It’s a record of reality and a way of informing as a very reliable object from history. “My work deals with the historical perspectives, questioning the authenticity of the history which is manipulated and constructed by the power,” he said.

The body of work is based on visual investigation, by questioning the authenticity of historical records.

The display of large graphite drawings is a deliberate act of making and erasing records from history, until it emerges into a single plan by compressing time and motion. The distinction between objects and time are blurred which draw the attention to capture the feelings of vanishing of history.

Ali roughly reworked the repertoire of received images from art school education, mostly European and vintage film posters of Pakistani cinema from its hiatus in the 80s. Aimed at exploring issues of interiority and exteriority, the artist painted scenes of fraught domesticity and the turbulent world out there, encoding and encircling each other.

Solangi’s work deals with ancient beliefs, rituals and collective wisdom as the threads connected to human existence everywhere on the globe. “Most of the contemporary art practices find their roots within these human sensibilities. I address these visual and conceptual concerns in my work,” he said, describing his work.

“I create locations which might not relate to the physical world and take elements from actual location and transform them in another location. In this way each work opens new pictorial episode in my portfolio,” he added. The exhibition will continue till May 8.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 7th, 2012.

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