Subtleties of paradox explored

Abstract paintings that bring out the fine balance in opposites

ISLAMABAD: One often finds balance in seemingly opposite things. Day and night, yin and yang all even out at a certain point. This idea is aptly illustrated in an exhibition titled “Lyrical Waves” that opened at Gallery 6 on Saturday.

Netherlands Ambassador Gajus Scheltema inaugurated the exhibition. He regarded art as a tool to bridge cultural gaps between individuals, promoting tolerance for the other people’s opinions.

The artist, Fariya Zaeem, who graduated from the Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture, said her work is an attempt to set free the creativity locked inside every human mind.

The artist’s experience was reflected in her works, as she brought sophistication to her paintings while maintaining the viewer’s curiosity about the choice of subject matter.

For instance, in her painting “Birds of Paradise 2”, Zaeem communicates a sense of disarray and chaos while lending undertones of tranquillity. Titled after Tracy Chapman’s iconic song “Talking about a revolution”, the painting stands out from the rest of the collection, transmitting an aura of power and passion, in line with the idea of revolution, instead of fluidity and colour.

Zaeem said that she experiments with different techniques but prefers working with the translucency of water colour.

She has experimented with wet-on-wet, dry-on-wet, salt technique, shrink-wrap, bubble-wrap, dry flat, round and all kinds of brush strokes and bleeding effects.

She also enjoys the juxtaposition of both water colours and acrylics to bring paradoxes in her work.

The exhibition will continue till November 24.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 12^th, 2012.