KARACHI: When artists Jamal Ashiqain and Mariam Mushtaq Kazi announced that they’re doing a ‘project’ called An Apology to Shaikh Ayaz at the Chawkandi Art Gallery the title of the show intrigued art lovers. Why apologise to the great Sindhi poet, and why 22 years after his death?

Jamal replies: “We have not celebrated Shaikh Ayaz a lot. We haven’t read him nor promoted him. There are some eight to 10 books which are Urdu translations of his work but no one reads them. It was even difficult for me to acquire them.” When asked that Ayaz is a celebrated poet, the artist responded that he is celebrated by/in the Sindhi community alone.

Works of 11 artists are on display in the exhibition. It begins with Mariam Mushtaq Kazi’s portrait (mixed media on canvas board) of Ayaz. It’s a lovely piece that sensitively captures the charismatic personality of the poet. He is looking away from the frame and his gaze depicts how keen an observer of life he was –– a trait essential for an intrepid creative person like him.

Khuda Bux Abro elevates the display with his painting ‘Pal’ (oil on canvas) to a level where abstraction seamlessly merges with the concrete idea of the homage. There is a fair degree of kinetic energy to his work that lends itself to the cosmic scheme of things — something Ayaz was a part of.

Khalil Chishtee brings the important component of literature with his artwork made in steel named ‘Ibn-i-Maryam hua karey koi’. It is an obvious attempt to connect the arguably greatest Urdu poet Mirza Ghalib (from whose couplet Khalil has taken the name of his exhibit) with Ayaz, implying all creative souls are cut from the same cloth.

The other participating artists are: Abdul Jabbar Gul, Agha Jandan, Alia Bilgrami, Aqeel Solangi, Mehr Afroz, Mohsen Keaney, Zohra Amarta Shah and Feica.

The exhibition will conclude on Aug 2.

Published in Dawn, July 30th, 2019