KARACHI, May 4: An exhibition of French artist Henri Souffay’s drawings titled ‘Looking Back’ opened at the Alliance Francaise on Saturday. There is a wide variety of exhibits on display and all of them signify one thing: the artist’s love of nature in all its manifestation: seasons, the human body, architecture, flora and fauna.

It is interesting to know that Mr Souffay is a self-taught artist but viewing his artworks one gets the impression as if he has learnt his art from an established institution where the basics of drawing and painting are taught. It is the fundamentals in his work that impresses those who understand art: the lines, the sense of space, the lightness of touch, etc.

In his ink-and-pastel drawings, the artist tries to reflect on that aspect of the past which is to do with the human condition, spirituality and oriental architecture. Doing so, he manages to link all three rather effortlessly.

Mr Souffay’s fascination for timeless architecture, and the concern for preserving it, cannot be missed. Those who have seen his earlier exhibitions will vouch for that. Therefore, in this show, too, there are old buildings not shown as in need of conservation but as works of art that are pristine and imperishable.

Perhaps the most striking part of the exhibition is the black and white ink drawings. They have a dream-like appeal and belong to a different time zone. In that regard ‘The Library’, ‘Last Anchorage’ and ‘The Big Staircase’ deserve a special mention. They have a haunting quality justifying the artist’s urge to look back. But this looking back does not imply a nostalgic longing: it’s a desire to relive the past in dreams.

The exhibition will continue till May 10.