The exhibition The Distance Between Two Points at Karachi’s Gandhara Art Space maps the evolution of artist Roohi Ahmed. On display are works dating back from her student days to present-day. Needless to say, the evolution is not linear. Instead, as elucidated by curator Aziz Sohail, it unravels the artist’s conceptual trajectory spanning over 30 years.

Visually, the artworks embody maps and urban geography, making use of cartography, but thematically, they shift between Ahmed’s physical, emotional and metaphysical journey, illustrating her struggle in the unpredictable environment of Karachi while expressing emotions that arise as a consequence of negotiating such a space on a daily basis.

The works are visually demarcated in clusters by media such as sculpture, video and drawing. Each visual cluster represents points of growth in the artist’s practice and each cluster is distinct from the other. Three noteworthy mixed media drawings from 2003 titled, ‘Conduction Of Impulse’, ‘Principal Sensory Ending’ and ‘Segmental Organisation’ are inconspicuous and standout because of their unique colour palette and abstract nature. These sensitive pieces are inspired by botanical studies and are reminiscent of the lucid drawings from Ahmed’s college days.

An exhibition explores Roohi Ahmed’s emotional and physical journey in the unpredictable environment of Karachi

Equally delicate, but more assertive, is a series of drawings from 2015, titled ‘Imperfect Circle I-VIII.’ Small in size and composed entirely of pencil scribbles and scratches, they seem to be marking terrains. The varied tones and confident marks of these drawings are emotive and seem to represent difficult decisions. The two abovementioned drawing series were made more than 10 years apart but appear to be addressing the same dilemma, with the former resembling an image seen through a microscope and the latter from a telescope. As different as they are, both are strong and impactful because of their simplicity in the midst of boisterous sculptural work.

The drawings ‘Constellations I-III’ chart out maps of unidentified places on fabric with thread. Unlike conventional media, such as graphite or charcoal, thread allows for a different kind of mark-making — whether by machine embroidery, sewing by hand or unravelling the stitch — producing an aesthetic piece, with each mark carrying nuance. All three of these drawings are finished with decorative banarsi fabric. This fancy edging lends the delicate drawings a self-conscious finesse.

According to Ahmed, her intention was to produce a feeling of preciousness. More often than not, preciousness arises from a place of fear of loss or discord. In line with Ahmed’s reasoning, the fear alludes to the uncertainty that propelled her oeuvre. Relaying her journey of going in a certain direction only to retrace her steps and find another route to her destination, these drawings are critical to her practice.

Her latest piece, ‘A Straight Line (2018)’, composed of brass, is an affective wall-bound sculpture, tracing a side of Pakistan’s map in a disjointed manner. The solid, gold-coloured crooked line is ornate and recreates the feel of thread and embroidery bridging the gap in the media.

Ahmed has used diverse material ranging from wood, metal and acrylic to papier-mâché and thread in her works. Her exhibition is just as much an exploration of material as it is an ongoing investigation into uncertainty, maps and travel. The Distance Between Two Points symbolises an unsatisfied quest i.e. a journey of self-growth.

“The Distance Between Two Points” was displayed at the Gandhara Art Space in Karachi from August 16 to September 15, 2018

Published in Dawn, EOS, September 16th, 2018