KARACHI – Saqib Mughal’s art exhibition titled ‘Break the Silos’ is a call for action to change the unchanged, break the status quo and embrace enlightenment, said a press release issued by the VM Art Gallery where the exhibition opens today (Thursday). In Mughal’s art, all of these themes get amalgamated with various symbolic forms – door hangers, closed books, mechanical brains, etc. These metaphors represent the state of the affairs of a common man at micro level, and of the whole society in macro environment. He paints the picture of a society where human mind is no more fed on intellectual discourse and creative faculties. It lives on decaying, dogmatic beliefs – void of logic and rationale. It works mechanically in a rut, always in the same direction.
Closed books represent a lack of education and awareness. Human figures with heads of ruined buildings symbolise a falling nation. Door hangers suggest that everybody is living in his own ivory tower – indifferent of whatever is happening around.
Door hangers also symbolise hopelessness of the modern man who sticks to his failures (closed doors) and cannot seek new opportunities that might be just a step ahead – maybe the very next door. Mughal urges the modern man to end his intellectual isolation and think beyond preconceived notions and extremist ideas or ideals of social status and material success. He employs butterflies – his signature symbolism – as a good omen and harbinger of hope and change.
His paintings invite individuals and societies to eliminate fake boundaries, keep biased opinions aside, and set up a liberal environment where people can live together and work for the common good. He is often introduced as a painter of emotional landscapes. His paintings depict notions of social problems, cultural issues and collective trauma. The tone, texture and objects of his paintings underline deep layers of metaphysical interpretations.
Photos courtesy VM Art Gallery
