ISLAMABAD: Two female artists have put on display their captivating artworks at the National Art Gallery, highlighting truth, identity, self-expression and inner consciousness through a variety of mediums.

The exhibition, “Haq - Seeking the Truth,” was opened by Senator Sherry Rahman accompanied by Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA) Director General Ayoub Jamali on Thursday featuring paintings, drawings and sculptures by Sumera Jawad and Sameeta Ahmad.

Senator Rahman praised the artists’ creativity and the impact of their work on the cultural landscape of Pakistan. She emphasised the role of art as an effective medium for societal reflection and growth.

Thoughtfully curated by Nageen Hyatt, the founder-director of the Nomad Art Gallery, the exhibition showcases over two dozen artworks.

Haq is an Arabic word for truth. It is also interpreted as right and reality, said Ms Hyatt.

“The two artists have poured their hearts and souls into their works.”

Ms Jawad’s work challenges traditional notions of identity and invites viewers to question their own understanding of the self.

“She reflects imagery and role of the female body from the ancient to modern times, researching in the city and ruins of Taxila with an analysis of Buddhist culture and art,” Ms Hyatt said.

Similarly, Ms Ahmad’s art exudes a sense of spirituality and contemplation, inviting viewers to embark on a journey of self-discovery. Her evocative use of mixed media and textures adds depth and dimension to her thought-provoking pieces.

“The artworks reflect the inner artistic consciousness of two souls,” she said.

For Ms Ahmad art is a reflection of one’s beliefs and values” said Ms Hyatt, who has collaborated with the two artists at various creative events.

“As the body is a site for expressing identity, many artists see the body as a way of commenting on identity politics – gender, sexuality, race and ethnicity - as well as to develop new concepts of art,” the curator said.

In their latest artworks and the new concept of expression of truth, the two artists have brought to fore the physical body as the site for their work.

Whether through sacred iconography, sublime portraits, abstract forms, stone engravings or immersive installations, both have sought to convey the ineffable, the transcendent and the divine through their work...having an influence on artistic consciousness.

Ms Jawad has always been fascinated with the role of the female body in the ancient civilisations. Previous scholarships on women’s involvement in Buddhism in the medieval subcontinent assume that women disappeared from the scene by the ninth century. This view generates from the analysis of the ruins of Buddhist art we have excavated over the years as she put it.

“My current work is inspired by the visual representation of the Buddha in the ancient Buddhist art and my travels to and explorations of the city of Taxila.”

Ms Jawad, who teaches studio practice in fine arts and is principal of Punjab University’s College of Art and Design, explores the concepts of identity and the self, using the female form as her preferred medium.

According to Ms Jawad, who holds a PhD in fine arts, “the level of multiculturalism and diversity to which many of us are exposed to these days has the potential to cause discord and displacement”.

Ms Ahmad in her ‘Wahdutul Wujud (Unity of Being) series focuses on the male form in sublime yet vibrant energy.

The Karachi-based artist and art teacher will give a talk on the same topic on Friday at the lecture hall of PNCA at 10am.

Ms Ahmad is inspired by the 13th century Sufi Master Ibn Arabi’s theory of Wahdatul Wujud. According to Ibn Arabi, the human being represents a “microcosm” of all the elements present in the larger universe or “macrocosm.” The theory reflects a vision of the Sufi mystical tradition that sees all of creation as connected and united, as reflection of One Creator, superseding differences of creed, race or culture.

According to Ms Ahmad, “working in the medium of digital collage, in this series, I first made digital photographs of the human figure that included projections on the subjects’ bodies of keywords from Ibn Arabi’s theory, rendered in three languages: Arabic, Urdu and English.”

She has painted central concepts and phrases from the theory in expressionistic calligraphy and made other embellishments as well using acrylic paints and mixed media on this base.

In this series, she has attempted to create a concrete and abstract merger of the ways the human form embodies the divine and the material.

Ms Ahmad’s latest work sits at the border of digital photography, painting and calligraphy with an expressive contemporary feel. In her painting Ta’alluq (nexus) and “Jism Wa Rooh (body and spirit), “Wahid Jama (one-many), the artist has portrayed the nexus between the body and the spirit.

The show drew a diverse audience, comprising art enthusiasts, collectors, students, and dignitaries. It will remain open till Sept 21 except on Saturdays.

Published in Dawn, September 15th, 2023