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    Art Review: Being and Becoming at Tanzara Art Gallery

    Written by: Shameen Arshad
    Posted on: February 01, 2022 | | 中文

    Dasein ( Human Being )

    Zaam Arif, a Pakistani- American Artist, has exhibited his intellectual and artistic prowess in his first solo show Being and Becoming, that opened to the public on the 27th of January 2022 at Tanzara Art Gallery, Islamabad. The show, well received by the denizens of the capital, is centred on the complexities of human existence, more specifically the constant internal struggles that plagues us.

    Arif’s melancholy figures, unlike fabricated portraitures common in art history with curated getups and artificial splendid settings, do not put up a façade. His images reveal human vulnerability, the gloomier and more authentic aspects of life.

    Being and Time

    The artist’s astute understanding of the human psyche had resulted in images that are brimming with human angst, presenting an overwhelming sensory experience. One can almost feel the wind hissing through the barren landscape or feel the damp muddy ground beneath one’s feet. This sensorial quality is further enhanced by the prominent bold brushstrokes. The thick paint application contains a sense of urgency and restlessness mirroring the discontent of his characters that lethargically lay on sofas, or wearily resign to their bed and stare into the distance. The exaggerated and sombre colour palette further adds to the desolation within the frame.

    However, the artist is seen to alter his painting technique when moving from canvas to canvas. He shifts from a largely impressionist paint application to relatively thin coats of paint in others; the vacillating technique, perhaps presenting the fluctuating passion and intensity experienced by the artist while creating each individual piece. The brush strokes greatly determine the intensity within the paintings; the level of turmoil experienced by his figures. “Dissonance” consists of more wild and quick brush strokes portraying heightened tensions, while the painting, “The Roots of fear II” and its more muted layers of paint show a quiet melancholy. The edgy paint application hints at an impending doom; a build-up of frustration and sorrow that is looming just beneath the surface.

    Becoming

    Each painting title suggests a sense of transition. Whether it is “Limbo”, “Becoming” or the more obvious “Time”, they represent a progression, reinforcing the idea of life present within the frames. The artist presents the human condition as motile, therefore, so are his paintings. The most striking title “the sacrifice”, not only enhances the menacing quality within the canvas but adds ambiguity to the subject matter, demanding more attention and intrigue as the viewer questions what precedes the scene and what is to follow.

    The cinematic compositions result in the paintings being seen as a part of a larger picture. It also aggrandizes the theatrics of the scene. The cinematic quality is further adopted in “Being and Becoming” that is split into three different frames. The individual frames warp the viewer’s understanding of in what time and space each event occurred, whether the frames have been put together due to the likeness in nature, mood, or time.

    Being and Becoming

    The artist’s off-centre compositions are reminiscent of Edward Hopper’s work. Similar asymmetrically cropped canvases, untampered lighting and general reduced choreography of the scene, offset the afore mentioned histrionics, successfully engaging the viewer who does not see the scenes as taking place in another- worldly space.

    The uncanny expressions and the empty eyes of the characters unnerve the viewer. The characters appear completely unaware of their audience or even other individuals within the frame. When they acknowledge their presence, they are too exhausted to react, reinforcing the presence of an internal struggle, rather than external conflicts.

    The Stranger I

    Men half-dressed and some fully clad in suits, show the same level of vulnerability. Characters of varying age, physical traits and environment reveal the ubiquity of such tribulations. This helps the viewer to empathize with the figures making them less like strangers. The work feels intimate due to the display of fragility, yet the averted gaze of the characters hinders that connection, ingeniously capturing the social isolation and distance felt by Arif’s characters.

    The landscape suggests strong references to the romantic period where the roaring seascape personifies the upheaval within the human mind. Arif’s landscape possesses similar human characteristics, at times more than the numb figures in the scene. The stillness within the figures is offset by the natural world around them. Thus, the images possess both an eerie stillness as well as dynamism. The water bodies and seemingly never-ending rows of trees promote a sense of infiniteness, perhaps representing the perpetual turmoil experienced by humans. Thus, the artist uses the austere environment to serve as a metaphor for human decay. Furthermore, Arif extricates the woods or the sea from the particularities of region, space and time to increase their universality, as they can now be perceived as autonomous entities.

    My Memory Betrays Me

    Arif creates landscapes farther from what we know as reality, dousing it in his opinion, thus making it as close to the artist’s truth as it gets. Though the setting might seem fantastical, the viewer can acknowledge the sentiments as authentic. Zaam Arif gives tangibility to the aspects of life that aren’t palpable in the material world, raising the question of how we define a surrealistic approach to art-making compared to a representational one.


    As the new year begins, let us also start anew. I’m delighted to extend, on behalf of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and in my own name, new year’s greeting and sincere wishes to YOULIN magazine’s staff and readers.

    Only in hard times can courage and perseverance be manifested. Only with courage can we live to the fullest. 2020 was an extraordinary year. Confronted by the COVID-19 pandemic, China and Pakistan supported each other and took on the challenge in solidarity. The ironclad China-Pakistan friendship grew stronger as time went by. The China Pakistan Economic Corridor projects advanced steadily in difficult times, become a standard-bearer project of the Belt and Road Initiative in balancing pandemic prevention and project achievement. The handling capacity of the Gwadar Port has continued to rise and Afghanistan transit trade through the port has officially been launched. The Karakoram Highway Phase II upgrade project is fully open to traffic. The Lahore Orange Line project has been put into operation. The construction of Matiari-Lahore HVDC project was fully completed. A batch of green and clean energy projects, such as the Kohala and Azad Pattan hydropower plants have been substantially promoted. Development agreement for the Rashakai SEZ has been signed. The China-Pakistan Community of Shared Future has become closer and closer.

    Reviewing the past and looking to the future, we are confident to write a brilliant new chapter. The year 2021 is the 100th birthday of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Pakistan. The 100-year journey of CPC surges forward with great momentum and China-Pakistan relationship has flourished in the past 70 years. Standing at a new historic point, China is willing to work together with Pakistan to further implement the consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, connect the CPEC cooperation with the vision of the “Naya Pakistan”, promote the long-term development of the China-Pakistan All-weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership with love, dedication and commitment. Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the founding father of Pakistan said, “We are going through fire. The sunshine has yet to come.” Yes, Pakistan’s best days are ahead, China will stand with Pakistan firmly all the way.

    YOULIN magazine is dedicated to promoting cultural exchanges between China and Pakistan and is a window for Pakistani friends to learn about China, especially the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. It is hoped that with the joint efforts of China and Pakistan, YOULIN can listen more to the voices of readers in China and Pakistan, better play its role as a bridge to promote more effectively people-to-people bond.

    Last but not least, I would like to wish all the staff and readers of YOULIN a warm and prosper year in 2021.

    Nong Rong Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of
    The People’s Republic of China to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan
    January 2021