A balm to the vision: genuine pieces of art on display | Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF)

Pakistan Press Foundation

A balm to the vision: genuine pieces of art on display

Pakistan Press Foundation

Karachi: Of late some among the profusion of art galleries in the city have started putting up exhibitions that are a pleasing sight, quite different from the queer works of modern art that normally are all Greek to the lay viewer, with awkward lines and rings and blotches supposed to represent persons or ideas.

These are just meant to put a viewer’s imagination to the test. However, happily enough, a change seems to be on the cards and some of the art houses have started putting up genuine pieces of art that are a really a pleasing sight for both the professional and the layman.

One such exhibition is currently running at the Full Circle Gallery, an exhibition based on 17 works of various artists which fully confirm to the conventional, age-old definition of art.

The show opens with two paintings by Lahore-based Dua Abbas.

Dua, indeed, is a born artist and seems to have a flair for all things artistic.

Her work titled ‘Invocation’ is a perfectly chiselled side profile of a young woman, with meticulously crafted Greco-Roman features and speaking eyes.

The lady is surrounded by nymphs, which further embellishes the work’s beauty to give it the touch of ancient Greek mythology. The mellow shades of her colouring technique help give a thoughtful expression to the face.

Apparently deeply influenced by literature and pre-Raphaelite art, Dua seems to restore the magic, mystery and divination she feels are inherent in the nature of woman, and brings her back to the centre of everything. Her images are elaborate fantasies centred around the female character.

There are two works Nafisah Panirian that are really a real balm to the vision.

One of these, titled ‘Gol’ (Persian for ‘flowers’), is a simple work of roses arranged in a flower vase, yet, despite the simplicity of the subject, something strikes the viewer as really beautiful, something that puts the viewer at one with nature.

The other one is titled ‘Sombol’ (Persian for ‘Sumbul’), with two cute birds fluttering around the branches of a Sumbul tree. Nafisah’s works are simple, yet the way she colours them has a beautiful story to tell.

Apart from these, there are works by Wahab Jaffer, Maryam Khan, Suleman Khilji and others – all highly commendable. The exhibition, which runs up until July 31, is a must-see for all enthusiasts of genuine art.

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