Art show: Four artists works depicting social issues on display at Nomad

“The umbrella could be a symbol for security or protection,” says an artist.

ISLAMABAD:

In this fast-changing world, artists are engaging in dialogue through their creative expression.

In what appears to be a sort of conversation or communication on the social landscape of the country, four printmakers presented their artworks at an exhibition titled “To look is not to see” at the Nomad Art Gallery on Tuesday.

“I always have stories in my head,” said Iram Wani, who was inspired by the traditional Islamic Art motifs and designs during a recent trip to Spain.

In addition to the intertwining black lines, the young printmaker has employed a plethora of tertiary colours. Icons and symbols such as fish and birds figure amid the extensive detailing. Moreover, a piece is also inspired from her childhood memories of chasing dragonflies and tying them with a thread.

Her work is a dialogue between the conditioned and unconditioned self. She has participated in several group and solo art exhibitions.

Naeem Alam has taken a minimalist route in his current portfolio. Exploring “self” through imagery, he uses basic colours to create complex ideas, a struggle and conflict within oneself. A sign of gun target is focal to all of his four pieces, with colours bleeding out from one of them.

From even layers of markers to the texturised paint, his works are all about making a statement.

Meanwhile, Saad Ahmed dabbles in the many shades of grey - going from light to darkness.

Using photographs as his reference, he comments on the behaviours that have become socially acceptable over time but may alarm an outsider.

The visuals exude a surreal, liquid feel. They are intimate, candid and calm as one browses from one piece to the next.

Finally, Anjum Ayub’s designs strike one as deeply personal and highly emotional. In one of the pieces, she has used hand-made, organic paper, showing people holding red umbrellas against a white backdrop.

“The umbrella could be a symbol for security or protection,” said the gallery curator Nageen Hyat, talking about the piece. In other of her artworks, Ayub uses excessive detailing, ranging from dimensional and architectural to figurative to abstract.

One of the pieces, which features the tones of deep green and burnt orange in goblets, set against an enclosed fist, reminded a guest at the gallery, of the Indian flag or the elections, although that was not the intention of the artist when she set out to work on the piece.

“To me, these artists seem to be portraying our social condition in a range of media from lino and woodcuts, etching and aqua tint. The resulting artworks are experimental and diverse simultaneously,” she added.

The current exhibition will continue till May 13 from 5pm to 7:30pm.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 7^th, 2014.