ISLAMABAD: Satrang Gallery hosted the opening of Under One Roof, a group show featuring the works of Aniqa Haider, Areej Nasir, Azanat Mansoor, Dhoufishan Raza, Emaan Pirzada, Faten Suleman, Jasmine Michael, Komal Nadeem, Maham Masood, Mahnoor Asad, Mamoona Riaz, Noor Fatima, Schezre Syed, Shafaq Hamid, Sundas Azfer, Wajiha Batool and Zahra Jadoon.

The young women began their careers as trainees at Satrang and have gone on to develop their art practices and are now working as faculty at prestigious art colleges, curators at important institutions, art teachers at high schools and as entrepreneurs and designers.

Asma Khan, founding director of Satrang Gallery, said: “From the very beginning, Satrang Gallery has initiated a unique curatorial trainee-ship programme which it offers to two art graduates each year. As the gallery completes 11 years we are delighted to have had more than 20 young graduates work with us.”

“As trainees these young women learn important aspects of art beyond the studio. They develop curatorial practices and learn the practical day to day of running a gallery. As they are accomplished artists, we also encourage them to continue deepening their art practices. This exhibition brings all these wonderful women who have been a part of our Satrang journey and we are very proud of them,” she added.

Aniqa Haider said: “Speaking out loud and letting loose sometimes is healthy and comforting for the mind. Yet, it is easier said than done. With my art, I bring those feelings of comfort to my soul without burdening myself with anxious situations.”

Areej Nasir, whose paintings are a commentary on her surroundings, said: “I like to express the feelings and experiences I get by living in the Asian social order. I am partial to making the viewer think by commenting on what I feel are the errors and realities of society. My work is more about unnoticeable issues that later cause bigger issues and stop society from growing.”

Azanat Mansoor’s work explores various themes of dream sequences oscillating between fact and fiction using a wide range of mediums like collage, photo transfer and drawing while Faten Suleman brings together subconscious thoughts meshed with surreal imagery creating an immersive and sensory experience for the viewer.

Dhoufishan Raza’s work revolves around poetry, literature and music from the Subcontinent.

Emaan Pirzada said: “I focus on capturing these scenes, documenting them according to my affiliation and understanding by creating compositions and altering the perspectives.”

Komal Nadeem’s studio practice uses mixed media drawings, sculpture, and photography to create dialogue regarding issues rooted in conflicting cultural identities. The figures in her charcoal drawings are set against a backdrop of mountain ranges and exemplify the engagement between space, identities and individuals. Maham Masood’s work is based on the notions of memory, as an idea, a concept, a thought and an object of thought while Noor Fatima explores loneliness in the midst of crowds.

In Schezre Syed’s work, paper sometimes becomes a medium of drawing, and somewhere takes on a sculptural quality as it interacts with its surrounding in a subtle manner. She said: “My work is a very personal comment on what it feels like to be at one place and try to figure things out.”

Shafaq Hamid’s body of work explores the process between tangible and intangible contact or energies shared amongst us; the veiled, inconclusive connections that are decipherable if paid attention to. Sundas Azfer said: “My current body of work explores religious rituals as an integral part of everyday routine. Rituals and patterns give one a sense of predictability and calmness especially during difficult times.”

Wajiha Batool said: “The value of a dot to be more meaningful in the metaphorical terms of creation, and the body of work generated using the technique is more relative to life patterns. It refers to the idea of universal singularity.”

Zahra Jadoon’s work attempts to capture the beauty of the human form. Jasmine Michael’s work mainly remains collaborative giving a comparative insight about the structural inequalities and disparities experienced by individuals in society.

Published in Dawn, February 5th, 2023