Surrealism, story telling run parallel

Exhibition features a collection of 11 paintings by two miniature painters, fresh graduates from NCA.


Express November 11, 2010

LAHORE: “An exhibition by two miniature painters who have different styles,” is how painter and critic Salima Hashmi describes ‘Running Parallel’, a collection of 11 paintings currently on display at Rohtas2.

“Nabila’s work is based on magical realism. She has the ability to tell a story in her paintings. Hira’s work, on the other hand, is surrealistic,” Professor Hashmi added.

Both are fresh graduates from the National College of Arts who majored in miniature painting.

M Atif Ameer, who teaches print making at Punjab University’s College of Art and Design, commented on the composition, saying, “The composition in Hira’s paintings is really appealing. She has managed the negative and positive spaces skillfully. Nabila has used the reverse method. I really like the way she has worked with black; the paintings seem to be negatives.”

Hira Mansur’s five paintings in the exhibition – Obscure Existence, Procrastinating, Harnessed, Pouring Rain and Pouring – have the eclyse (a horse-zebra hybrid, which cannot reproduce). Hira said, “I have worked around the idea of women who cannot bear children.

I have shown that through the image of the zebroid (eclyse). I have also used images of things that my adoptive mother uses in her daily life.”

Nabila Yasmin, the miniature painter who works with water colours, has painted women’s heads shaped like those of hens in An Activity. The depiction suggests that the women are seen as odd and that the perceived oddity is the reason they are being treated in the way they are. The artist said, “I have titled my series of work Darkroom Conversation. I have portrayed women who suffer because of their desires.”

The exhibition that started on November 8 will be on display till November 13.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 11th, 2010.

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