The Sanat Initiative recently held an exhibition in Karachi which has made me all the more excited for the artistic possibilities that a newer crop of Pakistan artists are bringing to the fore.

Titled ‘Nabz’ [pulse or beat], the canvases on display at the exhibition were brimming with life — and all the various joys and sorrows that come with it. The artists participating in the exhibition included, Ahsan Javaid, Azhar Sheraz, Fakhra Asif, Farazeh Syed, Haider Ali Naqvi, Javaid Mughal, Ramsha Rubbani, Sana Saeed, Saqiba Suleman and Ujala Khan.

According to the curator Scheherezade Junejo, “The artists selected for this exhibition represent the pulse of our current social, cultural and economic climate. Their work ranges over a plethora of subjects, with their ideological concerns being as varied as their individual practices.”

Ahsan Javaid’s work is perhaps the most immediately arresting of the bunch, the kind of paintings that even those who have little to no interest in art can find some value in. The colours are vivid, the lines clear and the brushwork steady. Suitable Boys is captivating, endearing and inviting, with the easy smiles of its two central figures evoking a scene which feels familiar and accessible.

A group show captures the joy and heartache which Pakistanis, especially its youth, must navigate daily

However, Javaid layers his paintings with faint outlines of other works, which appear to be superimposed on the original idea. For instance, the edges of a tree are evident in A Mid-Summer Day’s Dream, while the outline of two languishing lovers lays hidden within Javaid’s Suitable Boys. Aptly enough, the image of the lovers is from Mira Nair’s adaptation of Vikram Seth’s A Suitable Boy, in which Ishaan Khattar plays Maan Kapoor and Tabu essays the role of Saeeda Bai.

Farazeh Syed’s collages and smashing together of varied images thrives on the contradictions that arise due to this contrast. The hues are bright but the undertones in her artworks, such as Shakti, are quietly unnerving. While it isn’t always easy to unpack or fully grasp the symbolism behind the recurring motifs in her work, Syed’s depiction of unusual scenes and the juxtapositions that lie within them certainly leave a lasting impression.

Azhar Sheraz’s artwork is a unique blend of traditional paints and rust, exploring different mediums and materials. His work is a testament to the fact that one can draw inspiration from even the most unexpected of places and find some artistic merit even in dilapidated industrial machinery.

Similarly, Haider Ali Naqvi is interested in the built environment, particularly architectural spaces which we, as humans, move in and out of. His artworks explore the decayed nature of lived spaces, which have been abandoned and left in ruins.

The works on display at this exhibition ranged from figurative to abstract and explored gender issues, popular culture, sexuality, identity, social taboos, class distinctions, crumbling infrastructure and our individual mental and emotional states as human beings.

In many ways, these works embody the collective anxieties and frustrations which currently plague the people of the nation, especially the youth.

‘Nabz’ was on display at the Sanat Initiative in Karachi from August 17-25, 2023

The writer is an artist and educator

Published in Dawn, EOS, August 27th, 2023