A 15-day painting exhibition, commercial calligraphic art and old architecture commenced on Thursday at the Minhas Art Gallery of Government College University (GCU) with the theme, human frustration due to societal limitations. Vice Chancellor Dr Khaleequr Rahman inaugurated the exhibition that featured 22 masterpieces by amateur artists, Fahad Mushtaq, Tayyaba Khursheed, Naima Kamal Awan and Amna Urooj. The artists said their works were artistic but did not depart from reality. Speaking on the occasion, GCU Vice Chancellor Dr Rahman appreciated the artists’ work and said the paintings unlocked human imagination and enabled us to see the world differently.
“Art and science are similar in that imagination and discovery go hand in hand,” he said. He also discussed the history of oil painting and techniques used in it.
Artist Tayyaba Khursheed said whenever one listened to the word “bound”, it generated a sense of limitation within one. She said humans were superlative creatures but were still bound by societal limitations so I tried to highlight the disappointment that stemmed from these,” she said. Fahad Mushtaq said his work was based on the memories of his life. Another artist, Naima Kamal Awan said old buildings’ architecture fascinated her so she had painted the beauty of old Lahore. “I believe that I am preserving the true architectural culture of Lahore through my paintings which is decaying and dying,” she said. Talking about her paintings, Amna Urooj said every human was influenced by nuances that constructed his personality. “In my paintings, I try to define individual characters through texture. I create visual textures and place my objects into it,” she said. The painting exhibition will remain open until November 5.