Rawalpindi - An exhibition of paintings on imaginary art by established artist Saadia Hussain and Mohsin Shafi concluded here on Monday at Nomad Art Gallery.

The exhibition titled “No Man’s Land” showcased artworks including mix media, photography, text, painting and a vivid imagination to capture fleeting imagery from history and the inner self.

Saadia Hussain’s work focused on translating the pictorial language and interpretation presented by photography into her visual vocabulary. “Vintage family photographs, both monochromatic and other mediums such as photo construction, and paintings are the means to create my work. In addition, my images have been part of blurred space by over lapping figures, and the use of military history to create the illusion of a complex reality,” she said.

A photograph for her is a way to tell a story and evoke a feeling. Her goal is to translate history into a story of which fantasy is an essential element.

Mohsin Shafi said, “I exploit my unadulterated access to the deepest emotions embedded beneath the surface, only to explore the whispered secrets of dreams and long buried memories. This is my burden, my struggle constant, in hopes to validate the “I”. Mohsin Shafi questions the blurred edges between identity and intentions of identity. He attempts to capture what he see and record their frail existence, only to return and relive.

The visual metaphors combine realistic portrayals of ordinary events with elements of myth, to allow myself the luxury of a disconnection from the fallacies of truth.

I therefore investigate the dark recesses of the relevant human psyche, to explore a reality of ghouls and monsters. This assumes to be an effort to recreate my world, in a no man’s land, he said.

Mohsin’s work was based on personal snapshots and images from old compendium borrowed from acquaintances and social media.