Contemporary issues: Young artists speak up through their work

“Quintet” features sketches, prints, dresses, miniature of NCA graduates.

ISLAMABAD:

An exhibition of installation-based contemporary art by five recent graduates of the National College of the Arts (NCA), Rawalpindi opened at Khaas Art gallery on Tuesday.

Although independent in approach and technique, all of the pieces complement one another in some sense. Titled “Quintet”, the exhibition features sketches, prints, dresses and miniature, among other things.

Collectively, the exhibition zeroes in on socio-political issues faced by society. Saima Ali, a faculty member at NCA, said all of the artists have commented on the socio-political situation in the country.



The gallery curator Alia Bilgrami said “Conceptually and visually they all went together which is why we put it together. A lot of their work is black, white and red as they all are thinking about the same things. It is coherent without being similar”.

Benazir Hayat has presented a series of self portraits, where she herself represents the nation. She has used currency notes to show power and affluence.

“Politicians play with the hearts and minds of innocent people who start to follow them blindly,” said the artist explaining her work.

Fatyma Amin’s work takes a critical view of the fictitious nature of memories. “I deconstruct dreams, reminders and memories to an almost surreal point where they become fairytales.,” said the artist.

While Amin uses a variety of mediums and processes in each piece, her methodology is consistent. Working in traditional miniature, she has used gouache on handmade wasli paper which is juxtaposed with modern and whimsical subject matter.

Malghalara Kalim’s work is titled “What flowers are at my feet” and is about spotlighting things. “In my work I have coloured bombs and dresses made with unusual materials as newspapers and caution tape to bring attention to issues that society is indifferent to,” she said.



Titled “The Blind Print”, Schezre Syed’s prints take a life of their own. She has articulated her work in the form of pages of books or journals, which are collected over different spans of time. She has explored the impact of information overload on the human body and psyche.

“In an age where everyone is exposed to a heavy exchange of information on daily basis, one finds their memory obliterating images to create breathing space,” she said.

Syed uses an array of media to deconstruct the human condition.

Titled “A pocket full of posies”, Xahra Hafeez’s work is about reaching the zenith of one’s desires, where they become a burden and your dreams are no longer the things you once longed for. “My imagery is formed through an amalgamation of screen prints, acrylic and charcoal,” said the artist.

Prominent faces at the exhibition included foreign journalist Saima Mohsin, artist Aasim Akhtar, fashion designer Deepak Perwani and politician Sherry Malik.

Perwani said “It’s interesting to see how the artists have connected different themes and expressed them through the language of expression.”

The exhibition will continue till December 14.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 4^th, 2013.