Gestures of love

A group exhibition titled "Hota Hai Shab-o-Roz Tamasha Mera Aagay" featured multiple genres and artworks by six artists at Studio Seven Art Gallery, Karachi. The show brought an interesting blend of diverse feelings, emotions and ideas from Sindh with rich and diverse cultural images especially with spiritual connotation. The collection brought various mediums like graphite on paper, pen and acrylic on wasli, graphite and acrylic on canvas together to create a distinctive experience.
A graduate from National College of Arts, Lahore (NCA) Ali Karimi communicated to the viewers with his images. Although not completely joined the head, arm, leg, foot or shoe of his characters were tightly linked together through line and space. The viewers can imagine the whole picture and get the message he wanted to convey easily by looking at his paintings of graphite. His paintings were devoid of colours but the black lines talked themselves creating a story of a sport seemed to inspired him a lot. The gestures and the movement clearly showed his keen interest and observation of the game.
Depicting ordinary people's daily lives Faiz Supro's compositions were an interesting blend of Sindh's culture and its people. The paintings portrayed traditional fairs of the province and hustle and bustle of the main market which was suppose to be the centre of all activities in a town or village. He discussed the market place with decorated stalls having beautiful colourful products
He represented the lively happy mood of people busy in shopping and taking part in a cultural event. He beautifully used bright colours here and there as tradition of Sindh to make his pen drawing more lively and attractive. His paintings in pen and acrylic on wasli were a fine blend of black and colourful patterns in the form of clothes, rides or jewelry on a stall revealing a joyful and peaceful life which we hoped for.
G N Qazi is much inspired by the ancient architecture and design of old buildings, the painting titled "Bell" at the exhibition is also a good representation of his inspiration. The old fort, a holy shrine and clock tower, the rusted balconies, the dusty streets, and the roof tops having wind catchers in his paintings reminding the bygone days is a signature style of Qazi. The background of the images showed floral patterns along with calligraphic style patterns in his other paintings titled "Focus" and "Red Flowers" which revealed his spiritual side also.
Hussain Chandio paintings presented ordinary people immersed in the love of their creator singing and dancing at the drum beat. The paintings painted in a birds eye view giving a view of a crowd from above including men, women and children busy in dancing and singing in a painting titled "Malang-III". In another painting a group of dervishes dancing in circles in a traditional style with the red and yellow background and figures in grey with a hint of blue, green and red in bangles, in turban and in mala of malang gave a unique look to his paintings.
Abdul Malik Channa's paintings had unusual theme they were a tribute to the respected art lovers, admirers and supporters of the artists. As all artists know that art lovers are necessary for their motivation so that they create artworks that became the source of their recognition.
For him "The Art lovers and admirers are as much important as Art itself". "I love and enjoy their expressions, indulgence and the gesture of love for art when they visit an art gallery."
Shaukat Ali Khokhar's white paintings against a black background seemed quiet and calm. Just like rain drops in a dark night. Flowing a set pattern or design the dots became lines and then became cluster of lines. The paintings depicted simplicity, contemplation and silence.
"Devoid of the existence, my paintings reflect the inner meaningless clutter of material sanctum within us all, one that is beyond words, a kind of experiential catharsis," he said.