Unique visuals: Artist expresses love, devotion on canvas

Self-taught artist paints in water colours, often creating fuzzy borders and uneven lines.

ISLAMABAD: An exhibition of paintings by contemporary artist Mubashir Iqbal went on display at Shanaakht, a space for emerging artists within the Nomad gallery on Thursday.

Iqbal is a self-taught artist who paints in water colours, often creating fuzzy borders, uneven lines and outlining his subjects to create a unique visual balance. His compositions vary, ranging from hazy to translucent and mildly solid by blending layers of colour patterns contained in colour or flying off on a tangent.

His current collection is largely inspired by Sufism and one can see whirling dervishes in ecstatic motion on his canvases. Juxtaposing these with old heritage and birds, the artist creates a harmony and a historic perspective in his paintings as he plays with a diversity of moods and expressions of mystic love and devotion.

Keeping the tones subtle yet vibrant, the artist has juxtaposed shades of lime-green, turquoise blue and light red, mixing it with more contemporary and modern colours to break the mold.

“To me, painting sufis and whirling dervishes is a calming experience, almost meditative and perhaps the way they must also feel as if in trance and oblivious to the world around them,” said the artist, speaking about his creative process.

Portraying old cityscapes and street life, he has also painted old forts, streets and houses with heavy wooden doors, jharokas and balconies in varying tones of colour merged with monochrome to present a classic, antique look.

“I really believe there is a lot of potential in Mubashir’s work; he’s building up. He’s very inspired by Sufism and other themes and he carries it off really well. I’ve worked with him and I think the critique really encourages him,” said Nageen Hyat, the gallery’s curator. The artist has been exhibiting his artworks for about a decade now.

For a theme that has traditionally inspired artists and poets alike, Iqbal’s artwork is experimental, diffused and soothing to the eye. He seems to be on a quest to explore the alternate dimensions of a subject that has led many on to a path of self-discovery and innovation.

The current exhibition will continue till February 15.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 6^th, 2015.