Living colour: A land where heaven touches earth

Use of bold strokes in acrylic-on-canvas technique by the artist lends mood and character to pieces.

ISLAMABAD:

A collection of paintings by an internationally-acclaimed artist depicting the Lapland — a cultural region in far north of Sweden — were put on display at the Tanzara Art Gallery on Thursday.

Stockholm-based artist Ubaid Syed is well known for his impressions of the local environs coloured by the austere beauty of the landscape.

Titled “four seasons” the collection of paintings on display has been inspired by Lapland.

According to the artist, the terrain is extraordinary in its variety of form, light and colour, providing him vistas that he translates onto canvases.

“[Lapland is] the land of the midnight sun, where heaven touches the earth. It is a land where the sun sends its winter greetings with aurora, an extraordinary phenomenon called the northern lights (aurora borealis),” said the artist in a statement.

The paintings are impressionistic and layered. The bold strokes in acrylic-on-canvas technique lend mood and character to the pieces as the eclectic combinations come together, whether in the lilac-blue skies or the fluorescent green fields.

The many shades of blue, white and black create a wintery effect, depicting the climate of the artist’s home for around two decades. Despite heavy contrasts and diversity of colour, the paintings draw the viewer in for their unusual take on a foreign land.

“Ubaid’s paintings are balanced and the energy floating around captivates the eye. The rich colour palette and bold compositions make the work aesthetically pleasing,” said Noshi Qadir, the gallery curator.

Soofia Mumtaz, an art aficionado and visitor, said, “I think this is spectacular, modern impressionism, this is the first time I’ve seen this style. He has captured the light and seasons with skill and dexterity.”

Captain Adil Bin Qamar, a commercial pilot who bought a painting titled “Nordic Light” at the exhibition, said the painting had attracted him since he could relate to it, having actually flown over the polar region. “It can be very beautiful. Sometimes it’s just unbelievable the kind of colours you see in the natural environment,” he added.

Nauman Khalid, a UK-based lecturer and journalist, said he was very taken by the artist’s work. “I love the use of colour and the way he has done the sky, the landscape, very impressionistic way. It has a very strong voice, the equivalent of voice in painting.”

The exhibition will continue till December 27 from 11:30am to 7pm every day except Sundays.

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