Memoirs of the Other opens at 39K

The artist uses elements from collages.

LAHORE:

Memoirs of the Other, an exhibition showcasing 11 drawings by Kristian Evju opened at the 39K Art Gallery on Tuesday. The drawings demonstrate the artist’s knack of transforming elements of a collage into pencil-on-paper drawings.

The title of the exhibit, said Evju, links memories to ‘others’…elements unknown or unheard of.

The 33-year-old artist, visiting Pakistan for the first time, said he had retouched some of his work before coming to Lahore and added elements such as feathers, leather, birds to give the series “a more tactile and exuberant feel”.

Feathers, pearls, lace, silk, skin or beautiful hair embody the search for style and taste, not merely because of the material’s inherent socio-cultural value, but also because they reflect light so beautifully, he said.Evju said he had started working in March 2012 on the project meant to interpret his recollections through photographs, postcards and images. The pieces were first showcased in Italy in August 2012.

“My works are idealistic and distant from reality,” says the Norwegian artist, “I will continue adding to this series.”

39K Curator Abdullah, who studied with Evju at the Chelsea School of Arts, encouraged him to visit and display his work in Pakistan.

The pieces will be on display till March 18. They will then be taken to England for display on March 19. The drawings are priced between £1,000 and £1,900.

Rakshanda Atawar, an artist and director at the gallery, said the trend in art has begun shifting towards skillful work. Evju’s work is classified as photorealism, many visitors had to be told that they were not photos, but drawings, said Atawar. Evju takes lots of photographs, makes collages and picks the best elements to add to his drawings, she said. “There were only 11 drawings on display, so the show was easy to curate. Since there were so many details, many people would crowd around a single drawing to observe each one of them,” said Atawar.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 13^th, 2013.