Curator and Gallery 6 owner, Dr Arjumand Faisal, has proved his passion for promoting art in Pakistan time and again. ‘The 125th Show’ was not only a testament to this but also to the clout the gallery has mustered in the Pakistani art scene since its inception in 2008. The exhibition’s line-up of 40 artists was like a ‘who’s who’ of contemporary Pakistani artists.

Viewers were taken on a journey that traversed the breadth of art-making in Pakistan. This ranged from the more traditional and culturally steeped artworks — such as Abbas Kamangar’s Malang and Ali Abbas’ Gard Baad, where we see scenes of traditionally dressed figures masterfully captured in watercolours — through to examples of contemporary miniatures, with Ahmed Javed’s Gulshan and Naveed Sadiq’s Tamasha, both showing great skill with the notoriously difficult wasli paper and a certain tongue-in-cheek humour we’ve come to expect from contemporary miniatures — commenting, as they so often do, on the foibles of modern society.

We also travel to the deeply contemplative and complementary pieces by Pakistan’s artistic power couple RM Naeem and Sadaf Naeem, celebrating the inner strength and resilience of Pakistani women. We see this theme explored further in a more Fauvist display from Abrar Ahmed and Wahab Jaffer, while Rahat Naveed Masud and Ali Azmat explore the multi-dimensions of the feminine through realist expression. All captivating insights into the important role women play in Pakistani society, as reflected in the diversity of their depiction across the exhibition.

Our journey then takes us to the purely abstract, where Jamil Baloch and Ayessha Quraishi both capture different perspectives of the powerful force that the line and contrast hold in artistic practice. Geometry and spirituality come to play for Sana Arjumand’s Back to Being and Shiblee Munir’s The Sacred Love, showcasing a deep connection to the principles of Islamic art, with the precision and balance espoused therein, bringing the ancient into contemporary form in a loving and reverent way.

Some of the most recognisable names in the country’s art scene had their works on show at an all-encompassing exhibition in Islamabad

Dr Faisal himself showcases his work in a naïve and colourful display, the love of the process evident in the joyfully applied oils that come together to create a fishy mosaic.

Across the exhibition, we encounter traditional and non-traditional art practices, from watercolour to gouche on wasli, oils and acrylics, clay sculpture and mixed media pieces, wood and linocut prints, sculptural wire, inks and even an old water bottle that drives home the point in Ayaz Jokhio’s Littered Landscape. It’s a clear demonstration of the diversity and vibrancy of artistic expression in Pakistani art.

But more than the individual pieces can say, the whole exhibition is a rousing love letter to art in Pakistan. There is no particular artist or style that dominates — everyone is celebrated in turn.

Gallery 6 has established itself as a bastion of the arts, a champion of Pakistani artists and a home to many legends of the art world, both those past and in the making.

‘The 125th Show’ was on display at Gallery 6, Islamabad from November 16-23, 2024

The writer is an Australian based in Pakistan. She is an avid enthusiast of contemporary Pakistani art and culture

Published in Dawn, EOS, December 1st, 2024