ISLAMABAD: The Sufi philosophy of divine love is deeply entwined in the culture of this land, influencing and inspiring artists and the art that they produce. ‘Grains of Sand’, an exhibition that opened at the Satrang Gallery on Wednesday, showcased the work of six artists who were influenced by the tenants of spiritual and philosophical Sufi thought and poetry.

The artists, both diverse in their backgrounds and varied in their styles, include Ali Asad Naqvi, Amna Ilyas, Mohammad Ali Talpur, Noor Ali Chagani, Quratulain Shams and Sana Arjumand.

The works draw upon the Sufi emphasis on repetition, with artists using recurring strokes, motifs and techniques.

Artist Ali Asad Naqvi, a 2011 graduate from the National College of Arts, has been trained in printmaking but employs a number of techniques in his work.

He has worked with materials like graphite and metal in the past. His work is often abstract, non-representational and employs geometric patterns.

In this show he had four pieces on display in scratching on photo paper. The technique involves tiny scratches on the photographic paper; some areas are given greater visibility through the use of silver leaf. The exposed photographic paper provides a textural background for the exploration of sacred geometry as well as the expansion of the dot, the circle and the expansion of the circle to infinity.

— Photos by the Tanveer Shahzad

In the words of the artist, having these pieces here is like a journey back in time since they were made in 2011 and both his work and he have evolved since then.

He said Sufism had been a big influence on him since his college days. He has spent many hours pouring over great Sufi poetic works such as Khawaja Ghulam Farid’s Dewaan-i-Farid, Shams Tabrez’s Dewan-i-Shams Tabrez and the works of Bulleh Shah, all of whom are reflected in his work.

Sana Arjumand had three pieces on display which tell the story of humanity’s centuries old love affair with the moon as well as the artist’s own lifelong romance with the celestial body.

She was present at the opening of the show. The love with which she talked about the works on display said a lot about the sentiment behind them.

“The moon is an ever present symbol in our culture, the chanda (moon) always features in bedtime stories. Remember when you were a child and going in a car you’d think the moon was following you,” she said, her eyes lighting up.

To Arjumand, the moon in spirituality symbolises the heart which has become responsive to the light of truth. Like the moon, the heart of the seeker doesn’t have a light of its own but is lit up by divine love.

Quratulain Shams had two pieces on display employing gouache on wasli. Both use subtle, calm colours which in her words are reflective of the freedom and quietness within her.

Another two pieces are collaborative pieces made with artist Noor Ali Chagani, employing concrete and watercolour, done in shades of grey.

According to Noor Ali Chagani his use of bricks symbolises the search for permanency and is reflective of an absence of a home in his life. The bricks are like the building units of his dreams.

The two ‘ink on paper’ pieces by Muhammad Ali Talpur can, in his own words, be called visual poetry and employ the essential elements of calligraphy. However, he uses a single component like a letter on repeat. The idea is to create a new language in his painting, in which the negative and positive space cannot be separated or differentiated.

Guests found themselves charmed by the creative use of various techniques and touches of colour. The spiritual nature of the works themselves left many pondering over the thought behind them.

“This is a great show because the artists are drawing on the best in Pakistani art, like miniature. I am a musician myself but still enjoy other art forms and Satrang always brings variation in their exhibitions,” said Peter Heyward, Australian High Commissioner to Pakistan.

Another guest at the exhibition, former ambassador of Pakistan to Belgium Syed Khalid, appreciated the artists for the innovation they had shown and the creative use of colour.

The exhibition will continue for one month.

Published in Dawn, November 13th, 2014