Emerging artists: Birds flock Nomad Gallery

Momina Momina’s exhibition to continue till March 19 .

ISLAMABAD: An exhibition of artworks by contemporary artist Momina Momina is on display at Shanaakht, a space for emerging artists at Nomad Gallery.

Titled, “I would like to paint the way a bird flies” the exhibition features miniature works by the young artist who is hearing-impaired.

The artist’s aunt, Dr Khursheed Khattak, said Momina is a person with great talent and she has turned her challenge into opportunity.

“She mostly paints abstract but this time, she has painted birds after being inspired by one of her doctors who painted wildlife.” Khattak added.

“My practice has taken me to develop interest in colour-field composition, crossing traditional cultural boundaries,” said the artist in a statement.

Her current series of artworks depicts her interest in bird paintings. “To me, birds are like beautiful women; their beauty grabs one’s attention, their visual appearance and their own characteristic is a combination of the real and the abstract,” she added.

Signs, symbols and patterns play an important role in her artworks. Juxtaposed with birds and flowers, geometric or origami-shaped structures add depth, balance and character to the art pieces.

The artist has also painted a scene of rustic life, with inky strokes outlining silhouettes with loose applications of paint to create a surreal effect. Another piece depicts birds perched on snow-covered branches of a tree, their bright colours offset by the white and brown in a dreamy setting.

“Momina’s sense of observation is very strong, which translates into her skillful art pieces. The family is based in Abbottabad, where they have beautiful birds,” said Nageen Hyat, the gallery curator and owner.

The artist has previously exhibited her paintings in Newcastle, UK. She holds a master’s degree in Fine Arts from Northumbria University.

The current exhibition will continue till March 19.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 8^th, 2015.