Written by: Nayha Jehangir Khan
Posted on: November 11, 2022 | 
| 中文
Mustard Fields on a Cloudy Day
The painterly depictions of nature in Shehla Farooq’s solo exhibition present a visual anthology of 35 oil paintings that carry the artist’s emotive interpretations and masterful orchestration of abstraction, which promises viewers a sublime encounter that inspires joy and hope. The lyrical rhythm and calming harmonies of colour and form have been meticulously structured through years of observation and explorative improvisation in composition. The exhibition has been curated by Aasim Akhtar, with a nuanced emphasis and sensitivity in highlighting the processes of painting that Farooq engages with to create these paradisiacal views of gardens, parks, forests, shrubs and flowers. The viewers begin their journey on the ground floor of the Alhamra Art Gallery, welcomed by the painting Amaltas at Punjab University, New Campus, immediately connecting the crisp yellow tones to the confident still life painting in the distance with bright sunflowers. The intensity of the yellow colour transports the viewer into Farooq’s unique perspective on painting naturalism.
Amaltas at Punjab University, New Campus
The cinematic series of paintings have an interconnectedness that is identified through the unifying stylisation of brushstrokes and structure of compositions. Under the spotlight of the gallery, we begin to focus on the deliberate amplification of colour, the heightened focus on detailing the foreground while leaving the landscapes in the background to be imagined with impressionistic forms. In the painting Oak Trees (Liberty Park), the artist reveals the protagonist as the towering branches and heavy trunk cemented to the ground with exaggerated roots, where the background is out of focus with a magnificent glow of green tones. In Daisies on a Misty Day, the endless stream of flowers serenade the viewer as the artist creates an illusion between the detailing on the pine tree, grass, leaves and flowers in the foreground, while trailing in the background is a dreamy foggy scape. These spatial explorations resonate with those deeply connected with nature as a medium of self-reflection and introspection that is spiritual and emotional. The title of the painting will often share the location the artist has been visiting, her trips to Nathia Gali will be further described by a hill slope or an old hut as an expression of nostalgia or reminiscing of a past experience. The painting captures the multiplicity within a moment, where the memory of observation merges with the ephemerality of nature.
Clouds on Fire - Nathia Gali
The inspiration for capturing these moments can be view of a hill station nestled in the mountains, a view of the garden while walking through a park. In Bougainvillea and Old Steps, there is a weathered and textured landing with a few steps that are transformed into a restful moment, framed by bright hues of shining pink and a gathering of birds calmly sitting in the sunlight. The composition of “Wild Flowers” at first glance appears to be spontaneous as the flower’s vibrancy is echoed by their shadows, yet the anchoring horizon line and the fence in the background compress the view of the flowers and draw the viewer closer to the subject. A waltz between shadow and light can be seen in Bougainvillea and Bamboos and Orange Bell Flowers, where the subject is not the flowering ivy or the fence, but the glimmering variations of light captured on the floor of the scene. In this phase of her painting tenure, Farooq’s Amaltas Trees on a Walkway (Liberty Park) weaves details through the entire canvas with painterly markings, as her strokes are weighted and shadows prominent. On the other hand, in A Walk Through the Forest, the fluidity in her brushwork is weightless and elongated. The artist’s painterly vocabulary is extensive, as she can deliver variations in technique, perspective and scale. The luminescent symphony of colours in Reeds Taxila, uses a cooler palette ushering in gentle violets and blues that are reminiscent of Khalid Iqbal, yet the lusciousness of Farooq’s green tones lines the river bed, holding the gaze of the viewer. These grey skies with hovering dark clouds can be seen in the series Paddy Fields and Monsoon Clouds, which create the foundation for the artist's present works.
Bougainvillea and Old Steps
Colour for the artist is a seasonal muse that becomes the central focus of each painting as seen in Flowers at Sunset (Barki) at the height of summer, later revisited during spring in Cosmos Flowers, Barki Farm as a picturesque meadow, and earlier seen as a visage of sepia in Winter Landscape – Barki. The observational experiences attached to a place become part of her painting process. Farooq memorises these naturalistic elements as they become infused with her emotional response to nature. She is able to create imagery that carries the practice of sketching, the control of form and the rendering of colour, taken directly from the experience of viewing nature herself. The series Walk Through the Park is a three-part act that showcases the passage of time, and reenacting walking as a transitioning of spaces. The viewer begins to imagine the numerous road trips and sights they have experienced in life travelling to their final destination. The iconic mustard fields are a recurring subject in Farooq’s repertoire of nature and in her more recent rendition Mustard Fields and Eucalyptus Tree. The painting captures the light bouncing in a sea of yellow, yet the delicate greying bark and the wisps of vines framing the canvas create an archway, inviting the viewer to step inside the painting.
Flowers at Sunset (Barki)
The invitation to join the artist in exploring enchanting pathways and nature trails has been a central theme in Farooq’s works dating back to Plum Blossom - Liberty Park and My Wisteria , which she painted in 2015. She continues to create these painterly experiences that are charged with wonder, imagination and sentimentality that is sincere and warm. In a world that recently started to recover from the pandemic, with people only beginning to rejoin public gatherings, Farooq’s paintings are a refreshing reminder that nature has been a therapeutic force for those who seek peace and serenity outdoors.
My Wisteria
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