Government College University Lahore Minhas Art Gallery put on display Rakhshanda Atawar’s 24 abstract paintings on Wednesday, highlighting frustration, stress and terror prevailing in the society. GCU Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Ikram-ul-Haq opened the exhibition, in which paintings were mainly made in charcoal but the artist also used blacked pastel to give it depth and white chalk to give it a hazy smoky effect.
Prof Haq appreciated the open-endedness of the theme. “She has freed herself from the rules of paintings. She just enjoys her work. Each piece is different and open to interpretation,” Haq said. He said that the exhibitions at the GCU Minhas Art Gallery provided the university students an opportunity to interact and learn from professional artists. Rukshanda said that there was no ‘great philosophy’ behind her paintings.
“It is about turning the flat surface into a space and then the space into an emotion. It is about the moment. I do not push myself. When I feel that there is nothing more I can add to the painting I stop,” she said, adding that she used abstractions to highlight the frustration and stress prevailing in the society owing to inflation and terrorism. GCU Fine Arts Department Chairperson Erfan Ullah Babar said, “Belonging to an artistic family, Atawar grew up amidst individuals producing great artworks.
With artists such as Khalid Iqbal being close family friends, Atawar forced herself to think out of the box and ensure that her work created an identity for herself.” The exhibition will remain open for two weeks at the Minhas Art Gallery.
