Written by: Nayha Jehangir Khan
Posted on: May 27, 2022 | 
| 中文
(L to R) Ejaz Art Gallery and The Exalted One by Quratulain Dar
The group exhibition “Baagh”, showcases contemporary works by 24 female artists capturing their resilient and passionate contributions to shaping Pakistani art. Organised through the efforts of ForArtSake, Ruman Art Initiative and Ejaz Art Gallery, the show was conceptualised by art veterans Amna Ismail Pataudi and Dr Rahat Naveed Masud, based on Sadia Pasha Kamran’s publication “Bano’s Companion to Feminist Art-Women, Art & Politics in Pakistan” that features histories, reflections and scholastic investigations on the creation of female art.
Hope You Never Understand by Sania Samad
In her introductory essay, “Women, Art and Politics In Pakistan: Rethinking Feminism Through Feminist Art” Kamran summarizes that “Their artistic journeys started with the realisation of the personal and moving onto exploring the communal, social as well as political. In the scheme of things self-actualisation is the keyword.” This passage provides an insight into the practice of the pioneering female artists that raised their voice against oppressive laws and societal conditioning of that time, which still holds true for practising art in today’s uncertain and restrictive environment for women. Kamran’s writing is engaging and interactive, as she communicates directly to “Bano”, created to personify the presence of her reader to whom she is narrating and sharing her views throughout the book. The exhibition is designed to be a walkthrough, simulating the experience of the publication in a psychical format making the art more accessible and relatable for the viewer.
Material Culture & Archive – Decolonizing home through objects (DHTO) - III by Mehwish Abid
The exhibition includes unique research and narrative-focused projects such as “Decolonizing home through objects (DHTO)” by Mehwish Abid, which seamlessly moves between the personal and political shared histories by a collective consciousness. She invites viewers to interact with photographs, texts and objects collected by studying familial ties and relationships with the shifting landscape of political history. Artists Laila Rahman, Aqeela Shirazi and Fatima Saeed reclaim and transform traditional mediums of miniature painting and print by creating personalised visual vocabulary, distinct to their life experiences. Their compositions have layered motifs, recognisable drawing forms and obscure clues that are open to interpretation.
Mind the Gap I by Fatima Saeed
According to Kamran, each artist’s practice is valid as their autonomous decisions to express themselves translate into works of art. For Naela Amir in “The Larkspur Blooms”, the act of observation of light through colour can be seen as synonymous with her internal state of being. For artist Sara Riaz in her abstract painting “Myths of Our Mothers”, the mark making is immediate and aggressive, balanced with a softer gradient of colours transitioning in harmony. Sania Samad has a background in textile design that she incorporates into her installations “Hope You Never Understand” & “Untitled”, using heritage embroidery of Phulkari to draw in her viewer to encounter a passage of text stitched into the corner or optical manipulations using colour and geometry.
Myths of Our Mothers by Sara Riaz
Seeing ourselves through the process of creating art is a therapeutic and cathartic medium for artists like Nusra Latif Qureshi and Sana Kazi, as they reimagine the self through figuration and self-portraiture. The images they create are emotive and meditative, seemingly calm on the surface but charged with a psychological subtext. Abstraction can take on the form of self-portraiture as seen in works by Shireen Bano Rizvi in her piece “The Bond”, and Anushka Rustomji in “Serpent in the Garden II”, both artists use line and mark marking with caution and deliberation creating compositions that are deeply moving. Multidisciplinary art practices like Nurayah Sheikh Nabi’s, where she is able to cross over and overlap elements of drawing, sculpture, print and painting showcase her range of visual expression. Her sculptural piece dominates the space, as it uses a welded spherical object joined to a fleeting dragonfly fluttering above, a gentle moment fluid in nature viewed in brass and copper.
The Bond by Shireen Bano Rizvi
Other participating artists in the exhibition include Saulat Ajmal, Rahat Naveed Masud, Shanzey Mir, Amina Cheema, Amna Ismail Pataudi, Amna Suheyl, Dua Abbas, Farazeh Syed, Hira Siddique, Musarrat Hassan, Naela Aamir, Sahyr Sayed, Sumera Jawad and Zarin Gul. There are aspiring, emerging and established artists in the lineup of the exhibition. The act of creating for these artists is immersed in personal narratives and perceptions that are uniquely feminine and told in their own words. Their collective display becomes a testament to the fortitude and dedication to their individual practice. As each artist uses a different methodology, technique, material and philosophy in their art-making, their evolutionary journey is ongoing. The exhibition offers a chance for viewers to experience the growing community of female artists currently thriving in Pakistan.
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