‘Jewels of June’: An art lover’s paradise

The art exhibition, Jewels of June, showcases work of artists from all over the country.

ISLAMABAD: ‘Jewels of June’ is nothing short of a treat to art lovers. The exhibition includes an exciting blend of artists from all over the country who are currently showcasing their works at Gallery 6 in Islamabad.

The exhibition, which will continue till June 18, boasts of artists like Athar Mahmood, Ather Jamal, Altaf Ahmed, Aleem Dad, Arjumand Hussain, Asma Abbasi, Aliya Faizi, Aisha, Abid Aslam, Arif Khan, Fakiro, Hanif Khan, Humera Ghaznavi, Javed Khan, Kausar Iqbal, Mona Waqas, Maylene Rasmussen, Mahmood Ali, Naureen Qamar, Nusrat Raza Mangi, Nasir Sheen, Phillip Hall, Samina Arjumand, Samreen Asif, Shahid Toosy, Shireen Ikram, Sobia Tassaduq, Tehmina Ahmed and Tariq Luni.

The wide spectrum of unique art works is soothing to the eye with each artist bringing his or her own individuality to the show. Arif Khan proves his prowess over calligraphy with his oil on handmade paper with beautifully crafted Arabic letters; other works include a variety of oil on canvas paintings that have figures, landscapes, works in expressionism, abstracts and miniatures. The medium used by the artists varies between pencil, water colours, oil paints, acrylics, dry pastels, oil pastels, wood and clay.

The exhibition has also brought some new faces to the federal capital. Athar Mahmood, who has worked for more than 30 years in foreign services and as ambassador of Pakistan in several countries, has contributed to the show with his three vibrant compositions. Another new entrant is Mona Waqas, whose cityscapes and landscapes are soft and absorbing. Waqas has done her masters in Fine Arts and is currently teaching in a village school at Pind Bhegwal. Meanwhile, Fakiro, from rural Sindh, has an impressionistic cityscape in pencil that stands out distinctively even among bright coloured canvases, while Samina Arjumand’s sculptures in clay are intriguing.

Asma Abbasi’s landscapes are made with bold strokes of a palette knife, while Shahid Toosi has used water colourswith brilliant effect of light and shades. Paintings of Mahmood Ali on architecture of tombs in Multan and Sobia Tassaduq’s abstract works have an aura of mysticism. Nasir Sheen’s ‘Mother and Child’ wood carving out of a tree branch is simple but attractive, while Nusrat Mangi’s clay work (showing a cow in a pond with lotuses) reflects his varied skills. Arjumand Hussain’s abstract works, using acrylic on paper as his medium, were beautifully executed with many layers of paint.

Meanwhile, the two photographers — Javed Khan and Tehmina Ahmed — both have displayed their skill in a unique way. Khan has captured leaves changing colours through the seasons of the year while Ahmed’s work captures the ethereal beauty of ripples in the lake.

With prices ranging from Rs5,000 to Rs55,000, the exhibition has something good to offer for every pocket.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 13^th, 2012.