Written by: Jovita Alvares
Posted on: January 05, 2022 | 
| 中文
The Colours of Paradise 2 by Hamid Ali Hanbhi
It is customary for curators to assign meanings and themes to the exhibitions they curate. It is through that specific lens that we as onlookers are expected to take in the artworks presented before us. What happens then, when a curator turns the table on the audience and provides an exhibition with no clear theme, except for the title of ‘Uncurated’/ This is exactly what happened in a recent exhibition at Fullcircle gallery in Karachi.
The tagline reads, ‘Carefully Chosen and Thoughtfully Organized, Uncurated, a show by Irfan Gul Dahri.’ This in itself is a strange dichotomy and brings into question the idea of curation and what it means in the realm of Pakistani art.
Untitled (Game 4) by Noman Siddiqui
Walking into the gallery, one realizes that this seemingly simple exhibition is actually nuanced with undertones of deeper meanings. At first it makes the viewer realize how dependent we’ve become on context and written statements when trying to decipher an artwork or an exhibition. It definitely makes a visual easier to read, but at the same time limits our exploration of it to only what has been read. Now as we stand in Fullcircle without any text on an exhibition that is supposedly ‘not curated’, we are left confused, helpless and without text to guide us through the complicated imagery placed before us. But herein lies the true beauty of this display.
End of Era by Asif Ahmed
The magic of a visual was understood long before lengthy essays were written explaining the artworks. Viewers created their own narratives and connections to the piece which proved the mastery of the artist. Even now as I write my interpretations of the work, it may differ from your interpretation of the work, but therein lies the expanded power of an art piece.
Untitled by Abdul Jabbar Gul
Gold becomes an important hue for artists Abdul Jabbar Gull, Noman Siddiqui, Abid Aslam and Zahra Asim. A sense of the regal can be felt from all the works. While Gul and Siddiqui create sculptural pieces of gold that appear as otherworldly and satirical, Asim and Aslam, create two-dimensional pieces where the gold accompanies other colours to emphasize a specific narrative. In all cases, the artists use this powerful colour as a way of prioritizing a seemingly simple object or visual and giving it the magnificence that is associated with the colour.
One that explores a multitude of colour is Hamid Ali, where a rainbow of burkas adorns his canvas. Though seemingly real, one realizes that this can not be true but rather a fantasy, much like the paintings of Ahsan Javaid, Khadija Akhtar and Atif Khan. While Javaid paints a girl surrounded by overgrown plants, Akhtar paints a fish, almost as if from a dream, while Atif presents the audience with a horse with rainbow-coloured wings.
Comfortably Numb by Ahsan Javaid
Nabeel Sheikh and Hasnain Ali show great skill through their masterful sculptures. Creating realistic books from marble, the viewer is intrigued by the visual. While a marble sculpture is usually thought of as elegant and important, Sheikh brings to question the value of the written word, and whether the idea of the handmade is being overruled by the digital. Ali, through his meticulous crafting of lead, forces the viewer to come closer and question who these figures could be. With chess pieces as hats, the audience automatically draws onto the hierarchy of people in the real world, as one would see in chess. So, there are those that sit high up like the King and the Queen, while those lowest on the ladder are expendable pawns, easily replaceable and unimportant.
Untitled by Nabeel Majeed Shaikh
Ahmed Javed documents the work of a ‘manji wala’ in his painting, a rigorous task that often goes unseen. Ali Azmat and Usman Khalid provide audiences with females that dominate the canvas. Azmat has the audience focus on the tattered part of the woman’s jeans, which is interesting. Damaged jeans, which would at one time have made the owner throw it out or repair the pant, are currently in style, a style that is obviously inspired by the West. It becomes an intriguing conversation; would a torn attire still be popular if the West didn’t think it was Asif Ahmed and Kiran Saleem create their own unique replications of older visuals. While Ahmed reminds us of the deep distressing truths about the past through the simple addition of a red paint line across the neck of the painted figure, Saleem through her hyper-realistic painting forces us to look at the visual through a new lens. By removing the humans from the painting, she gives attention to the animals that originally acted as props for the artworks.
Dialogue by Ali Azmat
Walking into this exhibition, it was admittedly quite an alien experience. Without text to rely on, the audience is left lost and confused. However, the same peculiarity is what makes the exhibition exciting. The audience is forced to work solely with the visuals before them to create connections and narratives, and therefore, appreciate the mastery of each maker as is.
Two Cocker Spaniel by Kiran Saleem
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