Soul searching: Talaash-e-Khudi under way in capital

The exhibition continues till November 23 at Nomad gallery.

ISLAMABAD: A solo art exhibition featuring miniature paintings by Farah Khan opened at the Nomad Art Gallery on Thursday.

Titled ‘Talaash-e-Khudi’, the exhibition is a manifestation of Khan’s soul search, following an art residency in the United States last year. It is a sort of homecoming to one’s true, authentic self and peeling off the layers.

This idea has been aptly illustrated with eggshells throughout the art series, employing a minimalist technique of miniature paintings.



“When you are out of your comfort zone in a foreign land, people observe
you with different angles and perspectives. Sometimes, it makes you question
your own identity and the land that you represent,” she said.

Khan said searching for one’s identity is a difficult phenomenon in this contemporary scenario and global perspective.

One finds symbols and spiritual connotations that delve into the exploration and search of the self in her work. There are undertones of religious and cultural identity, which forms the basis of the artwork which has been largely inspired by Allama Iqbal’s poetry.



This is where the interchangeable concepts of ‘khudi’ (being) and search for ‘pehchaan’ (identity) take root, which have been unveiled through modern visual vocabulary.

Argentine Ambassador Rodolfo Saravia inaugurated the exhibition and commended the artist for her maturity of thought and expression, reiterating that the capital had a growing appetite for art in its many forms. “Searching for one’s identity is a life-long quest for any individual, be a person, professional or national of a particular country,” he added.

Nageen Hyat, the gallery curator, said she had found the artist’s work very delicate and unusual, saying that such art had a global appeal.

“These days, Pakistan is recognised not so much for its art, whether it is because of media hype or the socio-political situations or the global scenario. The artist’s work had a lot to do with her own roots, linking spirituality but in a very contemporary way,” commented Hyat.

She added that Khan had a good control over the art genre and had dealt with it in a traditional way, while going into the contemporary form with a strong, symbolic message.

Khan is currently working as an assistant professor and pursuing a PhD in Studio Practice at Lahore College for Women University.

The exhibition will remain open till November 23.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 14^th, 2014.