ART FACTS: Elements of beauty

Woman is considered as a symbol of beauty world over and every person who is related to any form of Art must have tried his hand on the subject of 'woman'. The paintings exhibition by Babar Azeemi at Clifton Art Gallery, Karachi titled 'Wajood-e-Zan' is also based on the same old saying about woman 'Wajood-e-Zan Say Hai Tasweer-e-Kainat Main Rang'.
It is said and believed so that woman beholds all the elements of beauty of this universe. Babar Azeemi following this belief bejewels his canvases and decorates his paintings lavishly with jewels and colourful decorative objects and birds. The two birds dominate his work - the parrot and the meena the two love birds who represent a male and female characters respectively in a love story.
He works to satisfy his creative instinct with his artwork. His paintings highlight his emphasis on love and harmony; and the same themes are reflected in the way he paints. He portrays woman in various styles according to the theme and subject of that painting. He finds aesthetic satisfaction in the beautiful shades of different colours, in harmonious composition through better techniques. In other words he finds freedom of expression in the elements of beauty - woman.
To satisfy his urge he combined the traditional past elements with the present time art form in his paintings thus accept an experimental challenge which he practices in his recent work. His mediums, techniques and styles fully support his paintings. He combines the traditional miniature painting with new contemporary styles and manipulates the composition with various techniques and thus the outcome is admirable.
He is technically inspired by a renowned artist Najmi Sura. His paintings show imagery situations and conditions indicating timelessness but they still reflects the traditional Mughal miniature painting style. The translucent colours intermingle with delicate lines creates an interesting portrait. He portrays Eastern beauty in different moods, desires and dreams experience by our women. His damsels offer a peep into the lives of suppressed gender but still much attractive and beautiful.
His paintings have rich touch of eastern and modern art elements seem to be locked together, which evokes charm and enchantment in the paintings. His work focuses on a stylised female form with plenty of jewellery and flowing garments inspired from the past era.
The background of his paintings is interestingly well balance with the figurative work. His creative attempt along with the textural juxtaposition of the contours and multiple layers of various mediums enhance the paintings. His images are a blend of imagination and realities depicting an overwhelming energy in the paintings. The colouring is just as exaggerated, full of strong contrasts of light and dark areas, and not soft, subdued and delicate. He uses a broad range of colours and tones from red to creamy pale yellows and greens to blues.
The paintings show different angles of woman in some she seems to be proud of herself in other paintings hope, despair, struggle and wait is reflected. It is what people see in every painting, it's their way of viewing them and deriving new meanings from them. The figures enclosed in a grid are all assembled against a backdrop of textiles, luscious patterns with a touch of contemporary sensibility. His vibrant emotional and expressive compositions of paintings have a unique style and the monochromic paintings have their own charm.
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