Unheard voices: ‘Thoughts, memories and ideas expressed on canvases’
These young artists, brimming with talent, are dying for opportunities to prove their worth.
‘Bathing 1’ by Muneeb Khanzada for Rs30,000 (centre), untitled painting by Rabia Rabail for Rs30,000 (right) and untitled painting by Saeed Lakho for Rs20,000 (left), are among the paintings being displayed at the Full Circle Gallery till September 26. PHOTO COURTESY FULL CIRCLE GALLERY
KARACHI:
The field of visual arts has seen an exponential boom in the recent years and the sudden burst has given young artists the opportunity to experiment with their methods and make a name in their industry. To promote such up-and-coming artists, the Full Circle Gallery has put together a group exhibition which will run till September 26.
“The title of the show, Unheard Voices, clearly outlines our concept behind the exhibition,” explained the curator, Syed Ammad Tahir, while talking to The Express Tribune at the launch of the exhibition on Thursday. He added that the art work showcased at the exhibition was carefully selected over a month’s time where the artists were required to produce something unique that would catch the audience’s eye - and eye-catching, they certainly were.
One of the most striking pieces in the exhibition, Bathing 1, by Muneeb Khanzada, shows three young children jumping with joy in a pool of water. “The theme of my work is composed of memories from my formative years when we were young, carefree and enjoyed life to the fullest,” smiled the young artist, Khanzada, while talking to The Express Tribune. “The innocence of youth is something that I treasure and my painting enforces the idea,” he explained. “The canvas captures the time when my friends and I used to bathe in the stream close to our village in the early hours of the morning. Those were the good old days.”
Khanzada’s other painting, using oil colours, shows a factory site which he explained was a sugar mill close to his village. “This sugar mill marked the worst part of my journey from my house to the university. The strong stench and noise were quite unbearable in the hot summer days,” he said.
Another young artist, Rabia Rabail, a recent graduate from the Center of Excellence in Arts and Design, Mehran University of Engineering and Technology, Jamshoro, centred her work around imprints from her childhood. The striking simplicity yet innate depth of her design leave the audience in awe as the artist shows three different angular views of a building on the canvas. “My fascination with buildings and structures started from a very tender age. This particular building was situated on the way between my school and home so I passed it everyday. The reason it fascinated me so was because everything around it changed - from the surrounding landscape to the people themselves - yet this building weathered all storms and stood unyielding in its place,” she reminisced. Rabail explained that her use of primary colours as the basic colour theme was based on the fact that she believed they were pure. “Primary colours are innocent like a child’s mind. My inner child is still very much alive - hence, it shows in various aspects of my work.”
Another interesting compilation of works that caught the eye was by artist, Saeed Lakho, who portrayed the kerchief used in different getups by people according to their preferences. Lakho believes that the kerchief is one piece of cloth that can change the wearer’s persona according to the way it is worn. “The thief wears it to conceal his identity while others wear it as chaadar in order to dress decently,” he explained.
The other artists, Sophia Mairaj, Shabana Langah and Rameez Khokhar presented works based on various themes using their preferred methods. For art lovers and those looking for fresh perspectives in the field, the exhibition is certainly a must-visit.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 6th, 2013.
The field of visual arts has seen an exponential boom in the recent years and the sudden burst has given young artists the opportunity to experiment with their methods and make a name in their industry. To promote such up-and-coming artists, the Full Circle Gallery has put together a group exhibition which will run till September 26.
“The title of the show, Unheard Voices, clearly outlines our concept behind the exhibition,” explained the curator, Syed Ammad Tahir, while talking to The Express Tribune at the launch of the exhibition on Thursday. He added that the art work showcased at the exhibition was carefully selected over a month’s time where the artists were required to produce something unique that would catch the audience’s eye - and eye-catching, they certainly were.
‘Bathing 1’ by Muneeb Khanzada for Rs30,000 (centre), untitled painting by Rabia Rabail for Rs30,000 (right) and untitled painting by Saeed Lakho for Rs20,000 (left), are among the paintings being displayed at the Full Circle Gallery till September 26. PHOTO COURTESY FULL CIRCLE GALLERY
One of the most striking pieces in the exhibition, Bathing 1, by Muneeb Khanzada, shows three young children jumping with joy in a pool of water. “The theme of my work is composed of memories from my formative years when we were young, carefree and enjoyed life to the fullest,” smiled the young artist, Khanzada, while talking to The Express Tribune. “The innocence of youth is something that I treasure and my painting enforces the idea,” he explained. “The canvas captures the time when my friends and I used to bathe in the stream close to our village in the early hours of the morning. Those were the good old days.”
Khanzada’s other painting, using oil colours, shows a factory site which he explained was a sugar mill close to his village. “This sugar mill marked the worst part of my journey from my house to the university. The strong stench and noise were quite unbearable in the hot summer days,” he said.
Another young artist, Rabia Rabail, a recent graduate from the Center of Excellence in Arts and Design, Mehran University of Engineering and Technology, Jamshoro, centred her work around imprints from her childhood. The striking simplicity yet innate depth of her design leave the audience in awe as the artist shows three different angular views of a building on the canvas. “My fascination with buildings and structures started from a very tender age. This particular building was situated on the way between my school and home so I passed it everyday. The reason it fascinated me so was because everything around it changed - from the surrounding landscape to the people themselves - yet this building weathered all storms and stood unyielding in its place,” she reminisced. Rabail explained that her use of primary colours as the basic colour theme was based on the fact that she believed they were pure. “Primary colours are innocent like a child’s mind. My inner child is still very much alive - hence, it shows in various aspects of my work.”
‘Bathing 1’ by Muneeb Khanzada for Rs30,000 (centre), untitled painting by Rabia Rabail for Rs30,000 (right) and untitled painting by Saeed Lakho for Rs20,000 (left), are among the paintings being displayed at the Full Circle Gallery till September 26. PHOTO COURTESY FULL CIRCLE GALLERY
Another interesting compilation of works that caught the eye was by artist, Saeed Lakho, who portrayed the kerchief used in different getups by people according to their preferences. Lakho believes that the kerchief is one piece of cloth that can change the wearer’s persona according to the way it is worn. “The thief wears it to conceal his identity while others wear it as chaadar in order to dress decently,” he explained.
The other artists, Sophia Mairaj, Shabana Langah and Rameez Khokhar presented works based on various themes using their preferred methods. For art lovers and those looking for fresh perspectives in the field, the exhibition is certainly a must-visit.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 6th, 2013.