Written by: Nayha Jehangir Khan
Posted on: January 20, 2022 | 
| 中文
My own world (Aamad) by R.M. Naeem.
O Art Space has successfully held 107 shows in the last five years since it was first opened by Director, Omer Nabi on 17th January, 2017. The group show titled “Aamad”, showcases a collective of artists that have become synonymous with the gallery. The participating artists are veterans of the art community that are actively shaping the contemporary and modern art vocabulary of the country through their art and as art educators. Their paintings transcend traditional techniques and are experimental, exploring themes that are grounded in figuration while diving into the metaphysical, using visual interventions of abstraction. The artists have crosshatched their individual techniques of realistic painting seamlessly while tying it into more fluid painterly forms.
Aamad by Abdul Jabbar Gul
The title of the show is named after the striking wood, brass and gold leaf sculptural painting by Abdul Jabbar Gull that depicts a bird emerging out of a gilded woven panel, much like a singular thought being formulated in the mind. Exploring celestial geometry through delicate ink and paper collage, Ghulam Muhammad’s work titled “(Takhayyul) Imagination”, is transportative as the eye infinitely tried to decode and find meaning by connecting the lettering and linework.
(Takhayyul) Imagination by Ghulam Muhammad
In RM Naeem’s “My own world (Aamad)” there is a child asleep embracing a toy, this innocent remembering of such an experience is carried into adulthood, as the red silhouette floats above the boy. The wood carving and painterly motif on the upholstery on the sofa bed begin to fade, and is kept unfinished by the artist signaling that this is an introspective scene taking place in the mind. Farazeh Syed’s contemplative figure in “Of Dreams and Magic” is gazing at themselves in a moment of reflection, surrounded by hues that feel icy and frosted as the light coming through the paint is reminiscent of stained glass.
Of Dreams and Magic by Farazeh Syed
The earthy serene green hues of Sana Arjumand’s “Lightness of Blooming”, shows a profile of a figure reaching to connect with the roots of a tree that has been collaged with pieces of textured fabrics. The figure connected with the branches that are accompanied by droplets of gold, simulating rain coming down connecting all three planes. In Mudassar Manzoor’s “Play of Forms”, the eye tries to rest on the yellow square that causes the background to shift and vibrate, causing the waves and floating figure to become more prominent.
Lightness of Blooming by Sana Arjumand
Memories are the other half of experiencing relationships as they help create the emotional landscape of our life. In Rabia Farooqui’s painting “Static Behaviour”, we see an empty silhouette of a person next to another, partially missing figure with the two dogs perfectly captured that create a frozen moment in a picturesque memory. Pushing the imagination Sajid Khan wants the viewer to form their own interpretation of “Beyond the image”, where an entire world is lifting off or emerging from the ground. The monochrome painting feels like an x-ray or a film negative from a landing site for an alien ship, or is this a bombing site in a warzone.
Static Behaviour by Rabia Farooqui
An artist’s ability to deconstruct complexity comes from a desire to recontextualize and reclaim their environment, the artist Kiran Saleem playfully uses plastic bags in her body of work to reclaim familiar visual references from the history of art. Muhammad Zeeshan’s “It Tastes Good”, shows a Paul Garmirian's cigar placed in the center of the composition pointing in the direction of a nest of short hairs shaped like an arrow. The innocent child standing at the center of Syed Hussain’s monochrome painting, on closer examination has a continuous stroke running horizontally across a revealing trail of colour. The flowers lovingly detailed on the child’s shirt are bright and clear, while the collar around its neck is titanium white void of colour.
Untitled (Children series) by Syed Hussain
Mohsin Shafi creates a cinematic tapestry in “The Beginning is Always Today” that is immersive for the viewer with glimpses of the past, present and future. The imagery is relatable but the perspective, depth and focus are kept deliberately simultaneous and nonlinear, pushing the viewer to make their own narrative. The dream world inside “Gardenscape” by Muhammad Atif Khan has a collage of clouds and foliage merging together, while a romantic interlude is taking place between a Mughal knight and a classical dancer on a bridge.
Details (Gardenscape IV) by Muhammad Atif Khan
The show is curated by Irfan Gul Dhari, who has been with O Art Space since its early days creating a strong network of artists and supporting emerging talent from around the country in showcasing their art with the gallery.
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