Skulls, fruit flies and the fading monarch: the king must die

19 miniatures depicting the bygone Mughal opulence go up on display.

ISLAMABAD:

Asif Ahmed’s miniatures are as intriguing as the title of his show, “The King Must Die”, which opened at the Tanzara Gallery on Thursday evening.

Asif, a graduate of the National College of Arts (NCA) in Lahore, layers traditional miniature techniques with socio-political narrative through symbolism.

The 19 pieces at the exhibit depict precisely rendered figures from the Mughal Era, juxtaposing this traditional iconography with unsettling symbols of decadence. Skulls, fruit flies and blood lend a sense of foreboding to the paintings, leaving the impression of fading imperialism. Digital prints of wrestlers such as the once sought-after Gama Pehlvan are painted over with gouache and red felt pen, suggesting the slow demise of a culture once revered by the Mughal courts.

For the artist, the layered process of his paintings is much like the fading monarch, the king who must die. Through his work, Asif hopes to challenge the place of traditional art in the modern world. He has used material such as crossword puzzles and ECG paper to add complexity to his narrative and include his own state of mind within the imagery. The crosswords puzzles for instance are not only a striking visual experience but are also an extension of the artist’s confusion and frustration while in the process of creation.



“I was drawn to the intricacy of the process,” said the 31-year-old artist, explaining his passion for the challenging technique. “I like to spend time with the material and my thoughts before I can create.”

The curator of Tanzara Gallery, Noshi Qadir, described Ahmed’s work as “jewel-like” in its effort to “interweave concept with image”.



Though Asif’s contemporary rendition of traditional miniature painting was a surprise to Islamabad’s art-enthusiasts, a large number of paintings — priced between Rs55,000 and Rs70,000 — were already tagged red within the first hour of the exhibit.

Asif, who is based in Karachi, has already been widely exhibited in Pakistan and abroad including the Jankoseen Art Gallery in Basel, Switzerland; Musee de Marrakech, Morroco; Gallery Chappe, Paris; and Kampra Museum, Japan among others.  His work has also been auctioned at Sotheby’s Modern and Contemporary South Asian Art in London.

“The King Must Die” is on exhibit at the Tanzara Gallery until December 8.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 30^th, 2012.