Reimagining reality: Embarking on life with the inner eye wide open

Thesis show at NCA Rawalpindi lets discerning artists render the ordinary in their unique ways.

ISLAMABAD:

To be curious is to untether one’s self from the absolute truths that surround us and to see existence as a spirited and ultimately malleable thing, to be defined and redefined through the ever-evolving language and expression. The National College of Arts (NCA) Rawalpindi launched its thesis show this Saturday, presenting a glimpse into the refreshingly untamed and inquisitive mind of its graduating class.

For 22-year-old artist Aneeqa Haider, the vivacious full-scale animals inhabiting her canvases are a playful extension of the people with whom she shares physical and emotional space. “The Walrus? That’s my sister!” she remarked laughingly to a query.

Haider, who has received a distinction for her body of work, feels a strong connection with characters and their indelible narratives, which inevitably untangle from the artist’s own experiences and heightened awareness.



Meanwhile Huma Arshad, Haider’s peer, believes in a similar relationship with the candour and inflection of the canvas. Her work is an effort to tiptoe outside of the invisible shell that has protected her for much of her life.

“My work is an exploration of the personal, and while it is quiet, the strokes are soft and subdued. It is a step towards unravelling myself and peeling off some of the layers that I have hidden behind,” explains the 23-year-old, lingering near her work to gauge the reaction of onlookers.

While the themes explored were largely stereotypical, the students differentiated themselves through technique and through a layering of intellect and experience. Atypically, one of the strongest displays was in fact, a series of self-portraits in garish colours, suspended in a dark room and lit with spotlights from below, heightening tension and evoking a sense of the dramatic.

“My self-portraits are an expression of my inner self on the outer self, in a kind of dialogue that is both calculated and yet spontaneous,” expressed Anum Zahid, whose intellect surpasses her age and has earned her a distinction. In studying portraits of children, the 21-year-old artist observed a lack of self-awareness which she then strived to accomplish with her own work, incorporating text and colour to achieve an entirely liberating relationship with the canvas.

On a similar note, for the miniature painter and distinction-holder Zohra Bano, “beauty” and “self-awareness” have become impossible ideals which cause unhappiness and bodily harm to women in today’s world. Her thesis is a combination of a video installation of herself in different made-up looks, and painting. Zohra, who belongs to the ethereal Hunza valley, found herself disturbed by the growing infliction of women towards fashion and artificial beauty.

“We are far too focused on our outer appearance and in doing so, we are harming our bodies,” she explained.

The architecture display related powerful ideas, such as a tactile space for the hearing impaired, a redesign of the Khewra Salt Range and an institute for music in Sheikhupura among others. However, the exhibits could have benefited from computer renderings or audio-visual aids, as diagrams alone were difficult to absorb at once.

The thesis show is on display at the NCA Rawalpindi campus till the 18th of January every day except Sundays, and is a guaranteed breath of fresh air for artists and connoisseurs alike.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 12^th, 2014.