LAHORE – Not everyone knows what lies hidden and unnoticed in many small villages of the country, which translates into a peek at our heritage. Architecturally, the public must be aware of the Mughal arches and domes, and mosque like huge and magnificent forts which have been regularly visited by many in Lahore. On the other side are British buildings, a common sight for residents of this old city.
In their red brick colours and Western postures, these are also some of the most common buildings in Lahore whose role in the cityscape is also ignored to a large extent. But what has gone almost unnoticed are the treasures hidden in rural Punjab.
Almost, because one person has brought these out in the open, not only showing their beauty, but also the skill of her own work. Asiya Bajwa’s exhibition, called Heritage of Punjab, which opened on Monday, January 3, carries with it the sense of belonging that the artist herself feels, along with the ‘news’ of so many old houses and mansions in the villages of Sialkot.
“I have been born and brought up in Sialkot and so know these places very well,” she says. “And it is because no one has ever seen or really noticed these dying buildings, is half the reason why I painted them.” The other half lies in her artistical eye, which has the ability to draw in both realistic styles with a blend of ‘abstract’ in it, as she puts it herself.
Art that resembles photograph: All the nineteen paintings have been done in dry pastel, and this itself is a very different medium to choose.
A trend not usually chosen by artists, chalk on paper depicts a very unique style of drawing that is similar to a sketch, only done in colour. Dry pastels are ready to enhance the work with their ability to give accents and good strong outlines.
That is the reason perhaps that Asiya’s work may even begin to resemble a photograph. And while the photographer angles his or her camera to capture a dimension of a building, Asiya’s eye and memory does the rest. Astral angles in looking at ‘jharokas’, and staircases, seem to show the magnificence and regality of these old buildings, while a regular and leveled point of view brings out the details of the work and design in a closed door. But cultural depiction is the dominating theme of Asiya’s work. In her current exhibition, which is her first solo exhibition, she has taken inspiration from haveli’s and rural homes in Shahzada, Kalaswala, Narowal, and Talawandi Anayat Khan. Her previous work also shows many cultural and folk influences, with pastels and acrylics dominating the medium of work.
