Chisel-Out: Reviving a dying art

Exhibition of sculptures by Khaleequr Rehman underway in city.

LAHORE: Fashioning sculptures out of stone is a time-honoured practice that is reminiscent of Gandharan art, said architect Nayyar Ali Dada on Thursday.

He was speaking at Chisel-Out—an exhibition of sculptures by Khaleequr Rehman. “This is a rare exhibition. I have not witnessed something on these lines in years,” Dada said. He said modern art such as painting had relegated chiselling to the background, especially in Pakistan. Dada said the art was alive in India to an extent in the form of fashioning deities’ statues. He said the figures in Rehman’s work gave a sense of freedom. Dada said this had added a modern touch to them.

Rehman told The Express Tribune he had undertaken extensive research to understand the techniques used. He said he had interacted with craftsmen and studied Mughal, Chaukandi and Gandharan traditions to understand the practices. Rehman said he had attempted to revive some of the techniques associated with these traditions.

He said western design practices had been adopted in the region over time. Rehman said he had followed this trend in the formative phase of his career. “I started experimenting with traditional art forms later,” he said. Rehman said he had found it exceedingly difficult to gather information on traditional techniques. He said this had promoted research in the area. “There is little room for error when working with stone,” Rehman said elucidating on the use of straight lines, simple shapes and figures.

National College of Arts Principal Murtaza Jafri praised the work. He said the techniques and methods employed were extremely traditional while their imagery and composition were extremely modern.

The exhibition features 41 pieces. Some of the featured sketches have been converted into sculptures, charting the evolution of the artist’s work. One such piece depicts a man carrying a basket laden with flowers on his head. The piece has been carved out of Jangshahi stone. Another piece has been fashioned from marble and lapis.

The work features clouds and raindrops falling on two simple figures in blue. The pencil and ink sketches on display are also simply etched. This has been done to make them easier to be carved onto stone.

A set of three-dimension pieces has proven to be a hit with the people frequenting the exhibition. “Such pieces require a lot of dedication and hard work,” visitor Huma Javed said.  One work depicts a woman sitting with oversized items such as cups and fruits while another portrays a side view of a human smelling a flower.

The exhibition will continue till May 4, 2015.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 25^th, 2015.