Written by: Nayha Jehangir Khan
Posted on: January 13, 2022 | 
| 中文
Signs From The Garden by Khadijah Rehman
Dominion Gallery has delivered exceptional group shows and solo presentations since the first show that opened on 2 January 2021. The gallery operates inside the vibrant and thriving multidisciplinary space called The Colony that has become a second home to Lahore’s young and ambitious creatives. The anniversary show titled, “Three Sixty Five”, is a celebration of the artist community that has developed there in such a short time. The exhibition features works by Abdullah Qureshi, Ammar Faiz, Hussain Jamil, Kaiser Irfan, Khadijah Rehman, Lariab Ahmad, Maryam Arslan, Noormah Jamal, Quratulain Dar and Safwan Subzwari. In a short time, Dominion has delivered shows that have a finger on the pulse of today’s younger generation. Their collective of artists is exploring the fundamental ideas behind “what is art?”, challenging the academic conversations around “what is art with a capital A”. Dominion rejects performative intellectualizing, replacing it with spontaneity and fluidity in their curatorial practice.
Three Sixty Five, Anniversary Group Show at the Dominion Gallery
The atmosphere created through the collective works signals the beginning of a joyous feast. Safwan Subzwari’s “Gossip Mausam” has an inviting blue background with a blizzard of figures busy chatting next to Maryam Arsalan’s delicious chaos titled “Get Lost In My Head, Just Looking At It”, and a two-tier cake with a lonely heart titled “White Noise, What An Awful Sound”. Transported to a Mad Hatters tea party, a solitary figure is seen reclining on a sofa pensively gazing back at the viewer in “Potentate” by Quratulain Dar. Dar’s realism is contrasted in “Qasim’s History” by Abdulla Qureshi that has two painterly and loosely drawn figures.
Potentate by Quratulain Dar
Noormah Jamal’s figures are deliberately posed that can be read as flamboyant and eccentric, but their stare is vacant creating a comedic tension. The paintings “The Ritual” and “Signs From The Garden” by Khadijah Rehman, show a group of women intimately interacting with one another in individualized drapery decorated with botanical and floral motifs. Jamal and Rehman have found their own unique and modern voice within the traditional boundaries of miniature painting. Their rendering of brushstrokes, detailing of the portrait and body language of their subjects is relatable and familiar, grounding the work in the present moment.
The Ritual by Khadijah Rehman.
Large sculptural stainless steel works by Hussain Jamil and abstract paintings by Kaiser Irfan create distortion and transition between the figuration, creating an emotional pause that feels reflective. Dominion Gallery has been showcasing artists that are able to communicate what is happening in their individual environments through painting and sculpture. The exhibition has elements of representational storytelling along with suggestive psychology, triggers that allow the viewer to create their own interpretation and narrative for each work.
Mixed Feelings by Qaiser Irfan
The open and fluid spaces inside The Colony allow Dominion Gallery to host large group shows. In the next hall, we encounter the large-scale work of Ammar Faiz titled “Misunderstood”. At first glance it looks like a toy rocking horse, but on closer reading it is the Trojan Horse, a deliberate resemblance as the artist is choosing to create visual associations between childhood and adult life experiences. The animal heads collaged onto figures are by Lariab Ahmad that are fun and playful prints.
Misunderstood by Ammar Faiz
There is a strong sense of storytelling in each of the artist's works with the focus on personal experiences and psychological environments, and even though each has a different approach to art-making, they are connected by a desire to freely express themselves. The conviction and passion are felt throughout the exhibition and is a reflection of Dominion and The Colony as they are fully immersed in the arts promoting theatre, film, dance and music through events and social happenings.
Qasim's History by Abdullah Qureshi
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