The eyes in the paintings say it all. “You can feel the mistrust the eyes portray in the work, it’s symbolic of the state of mind of the Baloch,” said a viewer about a painting by Nisar Ahmed.
Ahmed is one of the seven artists from Balochistan whose work is being showcased at an exhibition at Gallery Louvre.
With live instrumental music serenading visitors to create the perfect nomadic ambience, the venue on Tuesday was packed with local and foreign art lovers, many of whom were in awe of the work on display.
Chief guest Philippe Thiebaud, the ambassador of France, stressed on the importance of promoting Pakistani artists at home as well as abroad. “We are committed to promoting the artists of the country internationally as the world needs to see the talent that resides here,” he stated.
Of the artists exhibiting, Ahmed specialises in facial expressions and paints distrust and apprehension in the eyes of the figures he paints.
A piece by Aysha Sajid depicted the close-up of an old bespectacled man with a cracked lens. Her second piece was of a torn and ripped red flag. “The old man is my way of showing the process of inhaling and exhaling knowledge, by the time a person reaches his full potential after absorbing knowledge, he is old and haggard,” said Aysha.
Aziz, a senior artist from Quetta had painted bright lines splattered across the canvas to symbolise daily disturbances in the province.
Other artists have portrayed the region’s landscape and nomadic life in their paintings. For instance a herder watches over his sheep and bare trees stand solitary against a vast landscape.
The exhibition has been organised by the gallery in collaboration with Alliance Francaise and the French embassy and will continue until October 8.
You can watch a slideshow of the artwork here.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 3rd, 2012.
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ