A solo exhibition of photography, depicting a friendly view of Pakistan and United States, by Shahid Durrani kicked off at Nomad Art Gallery on Wednesday. Visitors seemed mesmerised by the landscape photos by Durrani, who is an engineer by profession. The theme of his photography is based to set aside the political discourses between two countries and to promote friendly aspects of the two nations. Durrani said, “My love affair with photography began when I was a young teenager looking for a hobby and someone presented me with a camera.”
He said for more than a decade the two maintained an off-and-on relationship, during which he taught himself the basics, but lacked the requisite passion to grow much more in the art. “About a decade back, hiking, which is another passion of mine, rekindled the flames of my infatuation with photography,” he added. “And soon after, the two hobbies were inseparable. Photography became a way to share with others the beauty I’d see during the travelling.” He said photography was a vehicle to portray the wonder in nature for him. “Uncluttered, simple statements are what I strive for, since my belief is that nature never needs dressing up. Whether the photo is taken in the mountains of the rugged American west, or of the waterfalls of the gentler American east, or in the mighty northwest of my native Pakistan, my approach is the same: show off the character and beauty that is inherent in nature,” he said.
This was what continuously delighted him, moved him and which kept his affair with photography a rewarding experience, Durrani said.
Nomad Art Gallery Director Nageen Hayat said Durrani was a passionate hiker photographer, adding that he had an eye that saw beyond the external reality. “He catches the essence of nature through his lens and highlights the inherent beauty and mystery that lies within the surface,” Nageen said.
