After seeing ‘Shades of the Familiar’, it is hard to believe that this is Irum Rahat’s first solo exhibition. Each painting within this body of work is a testament to the young artist’s ability to evoke intimate personal experiences and broader social commentary in a manner that feels both familiar and ethereal — in a similar manner as Salman Toor, both visually and thematically. The works serve as a powerful exploration of identity, memory and emotional landscapes.

For instance, Some Fruit Before You Go is a seemingly simple composition that belies a deeper meditation on transition and anticipation. The oil on canvas work is rendered in soft yet vibrant hues, reflecting a moment frozen in time, like a pause before an inevitable departure. The painting’s dimensions, just 24 by 18 inches, further create an intimate space, inviting the viewer to step closer and absorb its quiet but resonant emotional weight.

Evening of the City of Friends I and II showcase Rahat’s exceptional ability to capture the essence of a shared, lived experience. These twin pieces have a more structured yet dreamlike quality. The oil on canvas medium allows Rahat to build layers of light and shadow, giving the impression of a familiar home setting that exists somewhere between memory and fantasy. Each of these works stand as quintessential examples of how Rahat blends the personal and the collective, the known and the unknown.

On the other hand, Rahat’s I’m Your Favourite Reference is a bold statement. This oil on linen piece dominates the exhibition, both in terms of size and presence. The work presents a scene that many of us might find familiar — a woman perched on a sofa at home. But the sheer scale of the canvas allows Rahat to play with space and texture, immersing the viewer in a complex interplay of colour and form that feels overwhelming yet is impossible to look away from.

Intricate in texture and rich in psychological undertones, Irum Rahat’s artworks delicately balance abstraction and realism

A notable shift in medium is seen in Ghost Stories and Christmas Spirit I and II, both done in oil on arches paper rather than canvas. These works explore a more whimsical, perhaps even nostalgic, side of Rahat’s artistic vision. The use of paper gives the works a delicate, almost fragile quality, as if they might dissipate at any moment. The subject matter manages to capture the festive spirit of Christmas but in an ethereal manner. This adds a layer of mystery and melancholy that contrasts with the more grounded themes of her canvas works.

The thematic culmination of the exhibition can be found in the pieces And I Lie in the Doorway I and II. These large scale oil on canvas works explore liminality — the state of being on the threshold, between two worlds and two states of being. The doorway, both literal and metaphorical, serves as a recurring motif throughout the exhibition and nowhere is it more apparent than in these two pieces. Rahat’s use of colour and composition creates a palpable sense of tension, as if the viewer is standing in that very doorway, unsure of whether to step forward or retreat.

Rahat’s works, while varied in size, subject and medium, are united by a clear sense of introspection regarding the shared human experience. Rahat’s ability to make the familiar feel strange and the strange feel familiar is what makes her work linger long after one has seen it.

‘Shades of the Familiar’ is on display at VM Art Gallery in Karachi from September 4-October 3, 2024

The writer is an artist and educator

Published in Dawn, EOS, September 22nd, 2024