ART FACTS: Architectural vocabulary

Henri Suffay is one of the artists who have passion for architecture. Old buildings architectural elements inspired him especially the natural materials - wood, marble and stone used in constructing huge structures appeal him a lot. His current collection of works exhibited at Artchowk Gallery, Karachi show drawings in pen, ink and pastels.
He maintains an association with history through his drawings of old buildings and monuments. "Arcades, domes, columns, lattice and mosaic: buildings have their own vocabulary to write their own stories and dreams. Marble or sandstone buildings of the past still have a lot of memories to share with us, a lot of stories to tell but they leave it to us to see, hear and feel them. With my own simple tools, pen and ink, let me try to share with you what they told me," said Henri Souffay while explaining his work.
Keeping his view point in mind it is clear that a site or structure that is preserved because of its historical, cultural, or aesthetic importance attract him. I think these buildings are the worthy reminder of the past and we must take care of them as they are special and reveals fine and distinguished memories. His paintings are memorial tribute in the form of lines and forms - an unspoken tribute via art.
He has the desired effects by combining volume, light and shade balanced by soft pastels. The background for images is created with minute details often giving a distant look to the drawing as if someone is seeing these building from a great distance or peeping through the broken windows.
He loves to portray culture by means of architecture. His favourites are Mughal dynasty. Various glimpses of such architectures can be witness in his artworks the Taj Mahal, Humayun's Mausoleum, shrine of Bibi Jawindi of Uch Sharif, the Hiran Minar and Mohatta Palace.
You can enjoy the architectural beauty through a series of lattice work windows in a miniature style. He admires stone carvings seen outside mosques and impressions of flowers and trees on the windows. Some of the drawings depict folk and cultural references - the female figures in standing and sitting pose and a peacock and a bird in another.
His understanding of marbles, red sand-stones and bricks help him in portraying the delicate carving and coverings of glazed marble tiles and the floorings of the ancient buildings. His works portray the charm and intricacies of beautiful heritage buildings he had also made a few picturesque view of buildings.
Some of the drawings titled "Deep Inside" show another world he seems to be fascinated about a series of chilling images of haunted deserted dungeons, crumbling cells and hidden places of imprisonment; structures long been abandoned reflecting a sense of isolation. Thus the exhibition was a visual presentation of the history of Mughal architecture, traditional heritage and descriptive striking eye-catching artworks. [email protected]