Art exhibition: Deconstructing identity through artists’ perspectives

Modern spin on traditional miniature paintings on display.

ISLAMABAD:

Pakistani artists have long grappled with identity, weaving it into artistic discourse through its dissection, reconstruction and nuance.

A similar confrontation with socio-political turmoil and forceful, though ambivalent ties to cultural values, marked the walls of Gallery6 this Thursday at a two-person show exhibiting the works of noted artists, Prof. SM Mansoor and Mutaib Shah.

While both artists challenge the practice of traditional miniature painting through rebellious sensibilities, their canvases relate entirely divergent concerns, though rooted strongly within the landscape of a nation marked by social upset.

Prof. Mansoor, an exponent of Mughal miniatures shifts to a more avant-garde application of the craft, in the series, “Modern Miniatures.” This simplicity of ideas extends to his work as well, which explores socio-political issues that the artist feels are unavoidable in Pakistan. Prof. Mansoor’s process entails following the chaotic cycle of news on television to select issues which he brings to life on his canvas.

“As an artist, I feel responsible for educating those around me, though my wisdom lies in colours, in forms and composition; these are my tools,” he shared, disagreeing with the idea that foreign elements stir up trouble. For Prof. Mansoor, our enemies lie within us.

Prof. Mansoor’s work is steeped in symbols such as guns, biometrics, barcodes and elements that suggest repression and freedom at odds with one another. Among his dynamic and often layered canvases, though is a more cubist series which depicts his relationship with Islamabad – a city that he visits often.

The four-piece series is an architectural deconstruction of the city through shapes and vivid colour, employing emotion as a narrative more powerful than realism. While is social commentary seems almost rudimentary — an ongoing internal anarchy yet to be fully realized — his modern landscapes of the sterile capital city are original and full of intrigue.

Mutaib Shah, 36, paints with gouache, his technique intricate and compliant with the traditional style of miniature painting using the roots and branches of trees as a recurring allusion to an impenetrable and often, unthinking subservience towards adopting ideals that are imperfect. Born in Chitral, the National College of Arts graduate views this reflection of indigenous culture within the humdrum of a daily existence, though feels that it is almost always in flux.

“We cater to this change unaware and without being a conscious part of it.” He explained that much of his work, which depicted his natural surroundings, aspires to relate subconscious influences of culture.

Though prescient, Shah’s skill is stronger than his concept, which remains muddled in his head, perhaps as a metaphor for the muddled state of the nation.

Prof. Mansoor is the Head of the Department of Miniatures at the Institute of the Arts and Design, Punjab university, Lahore, while Shah is a lecturer at the Pakistani Institute of Fashion Design, Lahore.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 25^th, 2014.