The personal is political but not the stuff of general elections for these artists

Pieces by Karachi and Lahore-based artists come together to create a space of social consciousness.

KARACHI: Terracotta bricks, gouache on wasli papers and engraved drawings are some of the mediums used by artists to share their inner-thoughts at the ‘Lets Not Talk About Politics’ exhibition which opened on Thursday.

“We chose artists who work predominantly with themselves and choose politics with self over general politics,” says the curator, Sivim Aroosh Naqvi.

Noor Ali Chagani shared his love for bricks and how the move from Karachi to Lahore brought colour to his work. “Most of the structures in Karachi are grey and concrete, whereas Lahore has more colour to its architecture especially with the use of red bricks,” says Chagani. “But it’s not just the architecture, for me Lahore represents wealth in the form of bungalows as compared to the flats in Karachi.”

Chagani’s current and previous works largely use terracotta walls and bricks and the artist explains that the use of walls has become an important part of his work. “Walls represent boundaries and separation, and for me they also represent my personal space.”

Chagani’s ‘Pixels of my Portrait’ uses a mirror-frame filled with bricks and according to the artist, best represents him. “A mirror shows a person’s reflection and this [the bricks] is how I see mine.”

Chagani calls himself a political illiterate and says his work is purely personal.

His fellow artists, however, say that while their works are personal narratives, they also carry political undertones.

Attiya Shaukat’s two pieces, titled ‘U-turn’, focus on regaining body balance while walking. Shaukat has been wheelchair-bound for the past nine years after sustaining spinal injuries. “While walking with the bar [during physiotherapy], I’m limited to a small area and there’s always a U-turn for me which takes me back to the starting point.”

The artist says that her work is a product of different stages, such as ‘the fascination of doing things which people take for granted while being normal’. “The political connotation for me comes from how I was unable to attend the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf rally in Lahore due to my physical limitations,” says Shaukat, explaining that it goes beyond physical presence and more to do with participating in such political uprisings.

Happy and funny is what Adeel uz Zafar went for with his works, titled ‘Protagonist’ and ‘Prodigy’. “My previous works were more black and white but this time I’ve incorporated colour into my engraved drawings,” says Zafar. “Earlier my images were completely confined to bandages but this time, they’re more revealing.”

The artist says that these images reflect him as a person, and being art, they are open to political interpretation. The five-artist show will be on display till July 15.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 1^st, 2012.