'War Gardens’, an exhibition meticul­ously and passio­nately curated by Amra Ali at Koel Gallery, served as a testament to the resilience of the artistic spirit in a region deprived of peace and stability.

The war in Afghanistan has left a profound mark on the state of art in the area. The prolonged conflict and tension has not only displaced communities, but also disrupted a flourishing art scene. Many of these displaced artists, artisans and craftsmen have been nurtured and provided with an artistic license by Studio Lél for decades.

While Studio Lél and its initial emergence in Peshawar was the brainchild of Farhana Asad, its legacy is now being safeguarded and further expanded by her daughter, Meherunnisa Asad — as demonstrated by the exhibition ‘War Gardens’.

According to Amra, “Lél’s aesthetic emerges from a layered and cultural, social and political historical context. It is tied with garden imagery embedded in the vestiges of classic forms of cross influences of European, Mughal and Persian floral traditions.”

The stylistically innovative artworks of Studio Lél demonstrated the enduring power of art to inspire and heal

The title of the show was inspired by photographer Lalage Snow’s book War Gardens: A Journey through Conflict in Search of Calm. Amra’s curation was incredibly thoughtful and multifaceted. It transcended the mere presentation of artworks, to create an immersive experience for the visitors. The physical space, the interplay of light and the connection between the outdoor and indoor realms offered a deeper exploration of the complex themes the exhibition touched upon.

Works done in metal with a stone overlay, such as Macaw 1 and Two Macaws, spoke volumes about the sheer skill required to craft such powerful imagery out of stone and metal. The vibrant colours of Meherunnisa’s macaws, especially their ruby-encrusted eyes and the intricate details they contained, were evidently put together meticulously.

Due to their pulsating energy, each work on display clamoured for attention, vividly narrating how the beauty of art serves to soften the harsh sounds of pain and despair. The titular panther depicted in Panther Head, with its gleaming peridot eyes and pietra dura composition, forced viewers to hold their breath and lock eyes with Meherunnisa’s remarkable rendition of a remarkable creature.

The constant incorporation of birds, flowers, animals and vibrant colours served as a juxtaposition between the beauty of nature and man’s intent since time immemorial to ravage it. Here, the amalgamation of traditional art and craft in the contemporary world was able to serve as an experimental bridge for artistic dialogue.

The conceptually and technically marvellous Zer Yuk Asmaan [Beneath the Same Sky] depicted a panther on the prowl, a butterfly and a lotus and was created using serpentine, copper, marble and plaster. “It is a critique of the hierarchies within nature,” Amra explained. “The presence of the lotus refers to beauty and purity. The butterfly forms suggest hope. ‘War Gardens’ is situated within the beauty of these paradoxes.”

As a result of the hard work and decades-long collective effort of Farhana and her daughter Meherunnisa, it is evident that Studio Lel prides itself on the collaborative spirit it has fostered with artisans.

As Meherunnisa put it, “There is so much respect and shared creativity, that there is no difference between his hand or yours, it is a truly collaborative process. This artisan carries a diary where all his ideas are drawn rather than written. It is not about being literate.”

‘War Gardens’ was on display at Koel Gallery, Karachi from October 3-18, 2023

The writer is a Karachi-based journalist who writes about art and entertainment. She is also a media coordinator for the International Watercolour Society

Published in Dawn, EOS, October 29th, 2023