June 28, 2008

Usually an audience looks for an established name in the field of art, poetry and other creative activities. This approach is sometimes not just, as one may come across a touching piece of poetry by a new poet or a moving painting by an unknown artist.

As such it is better for art critics to see artworks on its own merit without being prejudiced by the name of the artist. It also is not necessary to find each work as a masterpiece at an exhibition of an established artist. In this perspective, Sajida Hussain’s textural female nudes are admirable at her current exhibition in Karachi.

Exploring her identity, Hussain is experimenting with various themes. In an effort to come out from Rahi’s influence, she has added landscapes to the current body of works. There is a feminine touch on her canvases in colour application as well as feelings she creates through the female nude. Her landscapes are free from gender impression. Hussain’s dedication to her passion is admirable. Rahi highly appreciates her devotion to her work. He says that she can be categorised as an artist with modern trend. He adds that she has the ability to control the sensitive integration of active structure with the void area of the canvas.

Why do people write poetry or prose, and sing or dance or paint rather than do something more useful in a pragmatic society. Those who take up these fine works have something special to convey; but there is something more to it. They are compelled by an inner force to create through words or line or voice or body movement. Although, at times critics of these fine expressions feel strongly that some of them should have adopted other means of survival. A writer adopts lenient attitude as compared to a critic.

A writer on these fine expressions feels that if there was perfection all around in all expressions, a lot of fun would have been missing. It is in the varying levels of intellectual produce and, similarly, the minds of the viewers and appreciators of it, that contributes to the spice of life. But when Hussain got through with her useful tasks in life-raring children, looking after a husband and a house, and started painting, besides adding to the spice of life in the realm of paintings, she added some content as well.

Hussain’s current exhibition, to some extent, is a point of departure from her mentor, Mansoor Rahi. The show at The Art Gallery includes canvases with female nudes, horses, landscapes, seascapes and flowers in vases.

Based in Islamabad, Hussain went into the art of painting late in life. Although she was inclined towards painting from an early age, she could not free herself from the set norms of our society. When her children grew up, she, with the cooperation of her husband, started painting. She joined painting classes at Mansoor Rahi School of Art in Islamabad. In 2006 and earlier at the same premises, Hussain’s palette, lines and flow of strokes paid homage to her mentor. Especially in drawings, she moved her brush in the line of her master with excellence. Her work, at that time could be differentiated from Rahi’s in texture and maturity. Her brush strokes were rough yet flowing. Her figures remained free in space while Rahi imprisoned the figures in cubes. After about five years, Hussain has started carving her own way in subject and style.