Visual artists, Hina Farooqui and Najia Omar create metaphors while reflecting on personal struggles. The questions posed in their work also possess the answers, delicately camouflaged in symbols. Both artists are graduates of the Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture, and their art has been nurtured by Karachi.
An exhibition of works by Farooqui and Omar titled ‘Perpetual Motion’ opened recently at The 2nd Floor (T2F). The opening night was followed by a day-time artist talk and gallery tour.
Farooqui, a contemporary miniaturist, says about her work, “The perpetually unstable political scenario and the intolerance, selfishness and impatience encountered on a daily basis, and the violence caused by it, have heightened my feelings of insecurity and instability. These coupled with a sense of alienation arising from my differing opinions and clashing ideologies have caused me to want to escape my surroundings. It is this constant struggle of running away that I depict in my work. In trying to find the right balance I continue searching for greener pastures.”
Omar, a visual artist and an enterprising object designer who works under the label of ‘just things’, says about her art, “Our identities are ever changing and complex, as there are many layers and multiple stories within stories. My interest has always been in dissecting these stories … each event, experience, feeling and thought is represented by different objects, colours and textures within my work. There are many underlying layers and symbols in each piece that one may not comprehend just upon a glance.” Her recent work has been showcased at the Poppy Seed Gallery, where she dealt with digital prints and mixed media, expressing intimate human poses.
Farooqui and Omar’s ‘Perpetual Motion’ would run at T2F until February 7.
Photos courtesy The 2nd Floor.
