Art: A cop takes up the canvas for catharsis

Artist produces illustrative interpretations of women’s plight.

ISLAMABAD:

While most artists thrive on subtlety and instinct, a novice artist on the horizon, Mehmood Ahmed, has challenged this convention. Ahmed’s been in the police force since 1992, and has been painting the unjust plights of women since.

His first exhibition at the Rawalpindi Arts Council (RAC) held on October 9 took critics and the public by surprise as Ahmed showcased his artistic illustrations of Violence Against Women (VAW).

Images of women shackled by society’s pressures and double standards pervade his collection of 30, and in a very literal sense, make the resounding theme more about women’s passivity than the violence exacted against them. For instance, most of the works show a woman surrounded by barbed wire or thorns, fallen in a well, stuck in a cob web etc. While such symbols aren’t unfounded, the ubiquity of the metaphor proves repetitive to the point of redundancy, and at times, unsophisticated.

A senior painter, Sabiha Nasir, commented saying, “I don’t understand where violence against women comes in to play in the paintings. The objective of his work needs to be clearer, but for someone without art training and experience, I have to commend his hard work and be impressed with inherent talent.”

While having a strong objective or message has never been, nor should be, a hallmark of an art exhibition, Ahmed is required and expected to bring his point home, because he claims he wants to raise awareness about VAW. Though the painter falls short of an immaculate and cohesive collection, he does deliver some vivid pieces worthy of being in any collector’s home. For instance, for someone with no art training, Ahmed exercises an impressive ability to accomplish three very difficult feats; colour compose, artfully draw the human form, perceive and show depth.

Furthermore, he has used art as a coping mechanism and catharsis amidst his perturbing profession. Unknowingly, Ahmed used the “gestural abstraction” (action painting) technique which is a testament to the visceral and natural quality of art. “Sometimes, when I would get frustrated or depressed, I’d just splash and smear my paints on the canvas, and then take it from there. I felt very level headed after,” he shared.

Though Ahmed made many efforts to receive mentorship from artists, he was unfortunately turned down at almost every step of the way. “I went to many artists for help, but they wouldn’t take me seriously as a painter, they only saw me as a police officer. It was a combination of dejection and having to prove myself that made this exhibition possible,” said Ahmed.

RAC’s Assistant Director, Sajjad Hussain shared with The Express Tribune that Ahmed’s occupation didn’t matter to him as it is his duty to give a platform to new artists; but the novelty Ahmed’s work brought in terms of a police officer’s artistic interpretations made his work indispensable.

The organiser also shared that the gallery saw a large number of attendants on the opening day, with some appreciative and others giving constructive criticism. Ahmed himself candidly shared with The Express Tribune that a few male attendees joked with him that his feminist collection may make his male counterparts insecure. However, Ahmed noted his aim is entirely pursuant and is to educate men not to practice VAW in any degree; be it a lewd comment on the street or committing rape.

Ahmed jubilantly reported that he placated his toughest critics, his police peers. “I had to answer many daunting questions about my art at work, but today many of my co-workers came and appreciated my work. Though I had to explain some of the imagery used, they understood because they have seen the same injustices take place,” he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 11^th, 2012.

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