Art exhibit: A splash of neon to herald spring

Mother-daughter duo bring a fresh collection to RAC.

ISLAMABAD:

Home-grown creativity is what drives the latest painting exhibition at the Rawalpindi Arts Council. A mother-daughter duo has experimented with neon colours as tribute to the ongoing spring season.

Titled “Psychedelic Spring”, the exhibition that opened for display on Monday, features a diverse collection of paintings. Nabeela Rashid and her daughter Madiha Saeed compliment each other’s work, furthering their bond into an artistic dimension. Both completed a one-year art course at the council recently.

In her calligraphic work, Nabeela has played with colour and Arabic letters in black. Her brush strokes are uneven, bordering on slightly rough. However, she manages to create well-rounded images.

Meanwhile, her other pieces have more concrete themes; a couple strolling in the night as street lamps guide their way, or a solitary boat adrift on a lake on the horizon.



Interestingly, she has painted real places in some of the pieces. For instance, the boat scene is a depiction of Rawal Dam. “If you go there (to the dam), you will notice there has been a boat floating there for months now,” she said.

Moving on, a large bright neon painting titled “The peacock” with a girl dressed in a swirl of fresh colours is Nabeela’s personal favorite. “This piece represents colours not many people choose to wear, but a peacock wears them proudly and shows them off when its happy. They are happy colors that lift my mood,” she said.

Meanwhile, Madiha,22, seems more idealistic in her works. Each piece represents a girl’s aspirations and dreams. “My work is inspired by my own little world. My first paintings were with a shoe polish when I was only two years old. I had always been more observant of the people and places around me,” the young artist, said.



Madiha, who is hearing impaired, paints carefree brush strokes as a means of expressing herself. “When words become difficult, I express myself through painting,” she said.

The colourful, gentle horses are reminiscent of the television series, “My little pony” while a smiling portrait of her younger sister Anusha has been titled “My little bubble”.

Her work might lack finesse but once a viewer realises the simplicity behind each piece, the show becomes more human and heartening. “Though amateur, but both of the artists have managed to capture the mood of spring in a way that evokes a sense of longing for colourful flowers in one’s garden,” Hira, a visitor, commented.

The exhibition will continue till March 13.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 12^th, 2013.