Infinite reflections

  • 19 Oct - 25 Oct, 2019
  • Eman Saleem
  • Art

Tell an artist to paint a reflection of their thoughts – how can the end result not play with your fancy and visual and leave you with a thought to ponder on or the burning need to decipher the painting. It is always somewhat of an honour to browse through an art show and then later pick the artist’s brain to understand what their thought process was and how much of themselves they hid in the hues. ArtKaam Gallery recently hosted a group show titled Infinite Reflections featuring Lubna Jehangir, Tehmina Lodhi and Gabrielle Brinsmead.

Browsing through the gallery, I observe how each artist draws inspiration and I had to articulate the thought into a question. Brinsmead says, “This collection directly reflects my feelings about and in Karachi, which is my home. Sometimes the air here is beautiful, sometimes it is sad, sometimes it is filled with fragmentation, chaos and pain, but it is always exciting. In these paintings, I have taken the elements of material life: oil, enamel, wood, canvas, wire, leaves, even shoes, and turned them into art. I want these paintings to soothe and heal what is broken, creating hope and peace in troubled times.” Her collection was an intense pop of colour on canvas that lifts your spirits at first sight. Like I said, how different perspectives are is an observatory kink I cannot help but smile at. Lubna Jehangir replies to the same question in words that make me smile. Jehangir vocalises the need and the want of the place women occupy in the world without driving those feelings from rage or anger but rather in a clandestine manner. She says, “The entwined flowers and twigs, the colours alongside monochromatic treatment represent the deceptiveness of my mannerism. It all looks colorful and attractive; yet there are barriers that protect from complete exposure.” The inspiration she draws from the millennia famous mystic poet Rumi, is a repetition you could not get enough of.

Lodhi says, “I am inspired by birds, I am awed by their fragility, vulnerability and flight.” One of her works that caught mine and almost every other attendee’s eye was an abstract piece – I ask her about it, quizzical at the fine lines and dancing figures. “My favourite colour is gold, this one has a lot of oranges, browns, blacks and gold. It is a kind of layered depiction of how people live in layers and in each layer, there is hope, which is in gold. There are dancing figures and I associate that with myself, making this work very close to myself and my life.”

If it is such an enthralling experience for a visitor to witness works of different artists and mindsets, then I wonder what it may be like for an artist. I ask the artists what it is like to be part of a group show. Brinsmead says, “It is a great privilege to show my work, meet art enthusiasts, critics, gallery owners and other artists, and feel myself gradually becoming a part of Karachi’s wonderfully vibrant art scene. I love painting in my studio, but for a painting to become real, it needs to be seen and appreciated by others.” Adding to that, Jehangir says, “Group shows help showcase diversity and range of styles/techniques being practiced by various artists. This show was of particular interest as it show cases work of three female artists all three practicing completely different techniques and styles to express themselves.” Lodhi, who was a first timer in a group show shares that she is a private person and that she is rather possessive about her paintings but the experience and boost the group show gave her, was everything an artist needs as a first step to commercially display their work. •

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