The flip side: Artist presents two different perspectives on a canvas

Ayaz Jokhio’s ‘non-commissioned’ works speak volumes of his talents.

KARACHI:

There are always two sides to a story - the human mind, with its limitations, can only perceive one view of an entity at a time. This was the inspiration behind Ayaz Jokhio’s latest series, Non-commissioned Portraits and Landscapes, being displayed at the Canvas Gallery till May 23.

The veteran artist from Mehrabpur, Sindh, graduated from the National College of Arts, Lahore in 2001 with a distinction in painting. Since then, he has set about making a name for himself in the world of fine arts with his work receiving high acclaim, both locally and internationally.

Jokhio’s latest works consist of a series of eight two-sided paintings which show two versions of a particular object or person. “It’s like when you flip a coin. Luck determines what lies in your destiny,” explains the artist to The Express Tribune. “As Bollywood star, Shahrukh Khan, famously said - ‘Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Ghum’ [Sometimes joy, sometimes sorrow],” he said with a chuckle.

The Actress by Ayaz Jokhio is on display at the Canvas Gallery. PHOTO: COURTESY CANVAS GALLERY

The medium used by the artist is gouache on wasli which renders the paintings a shade of grayscale. This colour scheme further emphasises the artist’s idea of a two-tone outlook to life, without any pomp or show of colours.

Describing his choice of the title for the series, Jokhio told The Express Tribune that “Generally, it is the aristocratic families who commission artists to make portraits for their households. My works are about the common man - the tailor, the barber and the teacher.”

Double portraits of a barber, a teacher, an actress and a tailor have been painted by Jokhio with both sides of the canvases perhaps giving a peek into their split personalities or multiple moods -  the actress wears a sullen expression in one painting while in the other, her face is lit up with a smile.

The Teacher by Ayaz Jokhio are on display at the Canvas Gallery. PHOTO: COURTESY CANVAS GALLERY

Apart from people, Jokhio has also used Karachi as part of his four landscapes to show how a place can also wear two expressions at one time - while one painting shows Karachi during daytime with a hint of dullness, the other shows the city lit brightly, perhaps signaling towards the bustling nightlife it is known for.

The theme of liveliness versus barren is also depicted in his paintings of a tree - one showing a tree in full bloom surrounded by greenery while the other shows a leafless tree standing on its own.



Jokhio has lived up to his reputation in his latest series which has been widely appreciated by the audience “The response has been quite amazing. People really liked the work and I have received quite a few words of encouragement.”

Published in The Express Tribune, May 16^th, 2013.