Karachi’s Canvas Gallery put on display two bodies of work of artist/photographer Arif Mahmood titled Pestonjee and Silver Linings. The exhibition opened with more than just select photos of Mahmood’s oeuvre on display; simultaneous to the exhibition was the book launch of two volumes of similar names, a book signing and a reading.

‘Pestonjee’ is a documentation of the life of an aged Karachiite. Shot over a period of seven years, these photos are a manner of marking personal and lived history characterised by daily routine, ritual and memories. Ironically, while immortalising Pestonjee’s life on film and digital format, it also captures the decline of life. The series is dark and minimalist in visuals and deeply reflective in concept.

‘Silver Linings’, the second series on display, is the exact opposite. The shadows and subtle hues are the two things that tie the two bodies of photos together. In this series, Mahmood has captured the essence of Sufism and shrines across Pakistan. The photos are exuberant and visually vibrant, which is a feat considering the artist’s minimal use of colour. Each image uses shadow and light to its advantage, adding drama to the photo regardless of how still or moving the subject is.

In ‘Pestonjee’ Mehmood has managed to bring magic to mundane activities through his lens. Visually, every inkjet print is striking, the compositions playing with dark and light, material and subject juxtaposition, the subtle yet poignant hint of the link between passage of time and dereliction. These large-scale photos are akin to watching a deconstructed lomokino film. The two images that really grab attention are ones with Mahmood’s hand-written inscriptions and marks. These notes alter the genre of photography and transform the visuals into drawings of sorts, an interdisciplinary expression of Fine Art.

A remarkable photography show captures the essence of shrine culture and historical Karachi, two different subjects, with poignant reflectivity

Pestonjee, an elderly gentleman living in Parsi Colony near Soldier Bazaar, would roughly be the same age as Mahmood’s father, who passed away in 2019. This series has an emotional meaning attached to it and may be a way to normalise and negotiate life and demise. From the composition of objects to the architecture and domestic settings, the images are charged with nostalgia.

The works titled ‘Silver Linings’ document Mahmood’s mother’s fervour for Sufism. According to the photographer, she was an ardent believer of Sufi mystics and had been to most of the shrines documented in this series. Although Mahmood’s mother passed away many years ago, he has continued on this journey undeterred since 1988, documenting the unparalleled and uplifting culture practised at Sufi shrines across the country.

Mahmood’s style of photography brings to mind the technique of chiaroscuro practised by Baroque artists such as Caravaggio. Despite his use of selective natural light and blurry lines, he captures the all-pervasive energy of shrines in vivid detail, from qawwals to swirling dhamaal moves after sunset to the bleakness and despair manifest after sunrise.

Most of the photos in this series appear to be dense and cluttered with figures, culture and meaning. However, his choice of black and white and muted hues tends to simplify all the information, bringing into sharp focus his subject.

Such is the case with a photo shot at Sehwan Sharif: in the foreground is the rearview of a camel with drums tied to its back and a rider beating the drums atop it. Up above, framed by a broken and dilapidated arch is the now iconic shamiana of the ’80s. It’s a powerful image that relays the sense of celebration that is the heart and soul of Sufism.

The two coinciding bodies of work are both very distinct in subject matter but are equally pertinent. They resonate personally with the photographer as they have a link with the memories of his parents.

“Pestonjee and Silver Linings” was displayed at Canvas Gallery in Karachi from February 23, 2021 to March 4, 2021

Published in Dawn, EOS, March 14th, 2021