ART FACTS: Spiritual and social

Artist Sayeda M Habib created colourful distinct expressions and images by using varying shades of a single colour along with other contrasting hues which she grinded herself by hand. Through her artworks she tried to find a relationship between word and world around us. In the current series of paintings in an exhibition titled "Dance of Dualities" at Canvas Gallery, Karachi she used newspaper and images to clarify what's written and what's happening in our surrounding world.
She communicated directly with the viewer in an effective way through known elements which helped the viewer in understanding the subject of the painting. Using miniature style she combined forms, symbols and images in harmonious compositions. Her main medium of work was newsprint other than gouache, oils, and acrylic.
She talked about the over burden of news from electronic and print media 24/7 which added to the discomfort of people who are already facing various societal problems from poverty to health and education.
Without any difficulty she produced desired results by using newsprint in her paintings. These newsprints supported her subject effectively. Most of her works involved symbolic forms rather direct encounters with the viewer.
An artwork titled "Pattern of Language" in gouache, acrylic and newsprint on wasli was created by strips of newspapers cut from the Editorials of both of English and Urdu newspapers. The strips were woven across a surface horizontally and vertically and as a result form an impression of bricks. Later artist added beautiful multi-colour geometric designs on this impression which acted as a background for the image.
The designs were symbolic of Mughal era while the words in the background blended with the colourful designs creating a contrast of words and images.
The balance of space and colour created new meaning of these conventional designs. These designs and motifs were used centuries ago on minarets and other buildings built by Muslims. These particular patterns have significant meaning and they were not just for decorative purpose they hold sublime concepts for the people. Newspapers were the reflection of society while the colourful patterns and space were time and people. Other paintings titled "Weaving the Word", "The Book of Love", "Hither and thither" also follow the same theme.
Three art pieces of Mantra series showed circular patterns just like earth being dragged in the centre by gravity. Within circular patterns smaller oval shaped designs in blue, yellow and grey colour against red, grey and ochre background created a movement in the paintings. A series of four paintings titled "La Dance" having lovely geometric designs in soft and bold hues were reminder of bygone era.
Traditions and civilization are seemed to be lost some where in the contemporary world of science and technology. The human civilizations that nurtured talent to create things are being forgotten slowly and gradually. And this process is fast in eastern societies. In a race to adopt western civilization and traditions we have neglected and left behind our own civilization and traditions. Our civilization is an epitome of knowledge and we must preserve it rather stay in a state of oblivion.
The paintings by Sayeda M Habib very clearly but artistically narrate the whole situation in her paintings. She has chosen to communicate with the people in symbolic forms. She used historical as well as contemporary elements of sub-continent societies to create balance and argument in her paintings.
The show combined the soul and society symbolically in newsprint words and colourful geometric patterns that is her work was social as well as spiritual in nature. As we know the greatness of cosmos is infinite beyond comprehension but still it is united and moves in a set pattern. Therefore we must stick to our values and traditions that have effectively served human civilizations through the ages. We must assert tradition to rekindle the lost consciousness.
(The writer can be reached at [email protected])