LAHORE: Vogue Art Gallery has always been known for it’s out of the box approach. The most recent in a series of works displayed at the Vogue is the exhibition titled ‘1000 Words- from Breakfast to Dreaming,’ consisting of works by the NCA Rawalpindi faculty. The display was an over-hauling experience in terms of the aesthetic sensory in the brain. Each and every piece opened a whole new perspective and a whole new world to the viewer.
OF CHILDREN AND POLLUTION: Ayesha Kamal Khan’s ‘Conversation’ and a whole lot of other works has children and pollution as the core elements. The juxtaposition of these two seems pretty appropriate. The placement of figures, the size of works and the subtle honesty in these works is sure to pull people towards it.
The usage of hue color palette and the symbolic representation of the pollution is also one area where Ayesha’s versatility, in her chosen medium, is quite visible.
A CHILL UP YOUR SPINE: Ayub Vali’s works with the digital media and photo manipulations with eerie and sinister interpretations of different animals are his way of going about representing the darkness that exists in all of us.
A glow of red coming from very domestic often friendly domestic animals is sure to give the viewer a chill down his or her own spine. The images of these domestic beasts are interlaced with cold mechanical backgrounds and frames that not only symbolize this gruesome dark side but also are a reflection of what this darkness can become in the long run. Overall these are great pieces of work not only in the graphic point of view but also the introspective point of view that is represented. Between the use of blues and greys and the ultra bright red the viewer himself feels indulged in the silent blackness of these art works.
SUBJECT HONESTY: One person in particular who with his exquisite medium keeps one entangled in his visual gimmickry is Yasir Malik. His paintography work not only is a representative of what its creator thinks and feels but of what effect the surroundings have on a certain individual. Gritty colors, honesty to the subject and highlighted focal areas are the key features of this compositional genius. The creation of a simple image into an avid and intricate piece of work is quite easily seen in Yasir’s work.
EACH PIECE A NEW STORY: From Paintography, if one moves towards photography here, Baroosh Ahsan rules the night quite literally speaking. Themes of the night and realms of the nightmares are all toys of this particular sandman. The most brilliant thing about his works being that all tough, subjectively interconnected, somehow remain free in terms or relativity to each other. Each piece has its own unique story to tell. If every picture was the door to the opening of another world, his photographs have many doors amalgamated in a single image. From one world to the other his photographs are keen observational studies of the human psyche rather than then just being a compilation of charismatic shots taken by the photographer.
CREATIVELY ORIGINAL: Rabiya Khalids work not only is aesthetically mature but keen and detailed to the last bit. Like the tiny DNA present inside human bodies, Rabiyas work also uses elements of very meager proportions into creating something much bigger in terms of creativity and meaning. Not much of a crowd puller or eye candy but her work is full of sustainability and creatively original.
THE IMAGINARIUM: Anime, Manga and Japanese animation form the root of Amna Hashmi’s work, the result of which yields from the works like Pathfinder and Moon Illuder. Done using techniques which are miniature in tradition these works not only have ‘catchy names’ but also are visual delicacies, the subject matter remains firm with influences from the Japanese animation and comic industry. Vibrancy in colors, character design that glue you to themselves and environments to go with them provide a kind off imaginary breathing space. Her work is free, flowing, introspective and imaginative to the core.
NOSTALGIA & RADICALISM-SIMPLICITY IN PERFECTION: Zaira Ahmed Zaka with her use of simple everyday elements, child like scrawls and the usage of newspaper sheets as a medium, creates drawings of subtle honesty, radical in approach and thought process. Her works named Family, Princess and Great Boy all are very nostalgic in their own right, something that the other works here lacked. The usage of newspaper gives the art works a kind of life here whereas the studied ‘art brut’ kind off a stylization provides the image with a heart or rather becomes the heart of the image.
YOU HAVE TO SEE THIS: Rabiya Malik and Khadija Fatima are individuals whose work is much better seen than narrated. Colors, compositions, design aesthetics and so on have little meaning when it comes down to these two individuals here; aesthetic intellectualism and obnoxious imagery is in play. Honest, blunt, and deconstruction of reality is presented very eagerly and quite forcefully in their works.
DESERVES MORE: Silwat Mumtaz, Hina Sattar and Saima Beenish find their work somewhat missing the limelight that it deserved. Whereas Silwat’s approach is much more practical and trajectory at the same time, Hina Sattar is much more of a pictorial story teller and the last of the musketeers being somewhat of an introspective creator with a self motivated goal in mind.
SAY IT LOUD: Muhjaben Mirza’s works are much more direct in their confrontation with the viewers and are more directly thrown at the viewer rather than being presented. One seldom finds the genuine integrity in artists from today’s times as such which is displayed by Muhjabeen.
ART BUFFET-EAT TO YOUR FILL: Mutaib Shah, Sakina Akbar, Marium Kundi and Nida Bangash make up the final crux of this huge rooster. All of these artists not only belong to the senior section of this exhibition but also are hardened not only in their experience but also in their visual narration, originality, juxtaposition of elements and characteristics in general. All in all the exhibition was somewhat like a buffet where everything is tastier than the other but its hard to keep your eyes, hands and mouths off one. The sheer amount of art present here is enough to dumbfound any art buff. This one is a must visit for a very open and honest introspect into the minds and works or today’s working artists.
