Artistic commentary: Social injustices inspire works of Jamshoro’s Nizakat Ali Depar

KARACHI: Social injustices greatly inspire Jamshoro-based artist Nizakat Ali Depar, as is evident in his works set on display at the Canvas Art gallery.

The show, curated by Sameera Raja, opened on Tuesday.

Thorns

"Social, political and gender-based issues are what I have tried to comment on in these works," he said while speaking to The Express Tribune. "I don't think of a particular idea while painting. But the news I watch on TV are always there in my subconscious."

Depar's artistic style is miniature painting. In one of the paintings of the 'Reflection Series', he had depicted violence. The colour scheme of the gouache inks used was quite intriguing as he had used them to draw distinguishable images of men who had been beheaded and a silhouette of the man who had killed them.

Untitled Map series

The artist had skilfully enjoyed the benefit of pencil on wasli in detailing the fine features of the images. This combination of media helped enhance an art form that attracts the aesthetic response of the viewer. Depar seemed to be commenting on how criminals remain unidentified and, thus, at large in our society in this particular piece.

The painter seemed to be inspired by history, especially that of the Mughals. He created a fine combination of traditional and contemporary art. Recurring images of faces similar to those that you see in Mughal paintings speak of his inclinations.

The tiny figures and the thin, fine eyebrows on fair faces with little or no three-dimensional quality are what constitute the form of most of his artworks. He uses this motif to comment on how our rich culture is gradually eroding.

Reflection Series

Three paintings, titled 'Thorns', showed how Depar has been affected by the environment he lives in. Thorns are quite an emblem of the desert that many parts of Sindh are. Moreover, they symbolise pain and hurdles. "When we leave our homes, we are not sure if we will return," said the painter, commenting on the law and order situation in our country.

The curator was quite affected by Depar's focus on thorns. "The barrenness of Larkana is very beautifully depicted with the help of thorns," said Raja. "His imagery has moved forward and I find it very exciting."

In one of the 'Thorns' paintings, many vertical branches were drawn parallel to each other. The composition seemed to comment on the forces of society that control our behaviours through the fear of punishment. The thorns hurt just like labels or stigmas. And we are compelled to conform to specific patterns of behaviour in order to avoid those labels.

The colour scheme of this work was also very interesting. A closer inspection shows that all the branches were coloured with differing shades of black, blue and brown, and two branches stood out with their red and orange colours. The branches stood parallel to each other just like the various stigma-generating components of society, which include but are not limited to, families, schools, clergy, governments, media, etc.

Symbols of religion were an integral part of Depar's works.

He had used motifs of angels and Islamic ceramic art to comment on the gender-based injustices of society. All in all, Depar's work was ripe with issues hardly touched and, that too, in fine detail.

"The boldness of these images is very appealing," said Arif Husain, an artist and art teacher. "The artist has mixed local images with the traditional form of art."

Blogger and photographer Jamal Ashiqain was also impressed by the combination of contemporary and traditional art. "The fine details and the diversity are very interesting," he told The Express Tribune. "The work is deep as there is humorous commentary as well as political commentary."

The show is set to run till October 12 at the gallery.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 6^th, 2014.