LAHORE - We are surrounded by objects we use, love, keep or throw away according to our everyday needs and desires. There is however another context in which these objects have different meanings and use. This context is art.

This concept of looking at everyday life and its objects is visible in exciting works of emerging artists Sara Aslam and Hifsa Farooq. An exhibition of their works opened at Alhamra Art Gallery on Tuesday. A 10 artworks were displayed.

Hifsa completed her Bachelors in Fine Arts in 2015 from Beaconhouse National University (BNU). Since then, she has been a part of BNU in teaching and administrative capacity.

Her interest in exploration of found material is evident in all her works. Each material/object comes with its own connotations, which are altered through juxtaposition or the mere act of dislocating it from the natural environment that results in a chaos within the object itself.

The visual seems familiar yet narrates/discloses a story untold. The work also explores the politics of domestic objects and the power dynamics that are constructed through them.

Sara Aslam completed BFA at the Beaconhouse National University in 2016. Her practice as a visual artist revolves around the idea of home. In her recent work, “Forms from Garden”, she incorporates a collection of ephemeral objects and materials such as clay, soil, seeds and plants to create an intimate space of observation. This space displays a workstation where she records her thought process and experiments with the materials that give form to her other works. The sphere forms of clay are the result of her playful interaction with mud. As she worked with each piece to make it precious object. The wheatgrass field is an extension of her garden at home.

LAC Executive Director Atta Muhammad Khan said the exhibition reflects the diversity and shows what people are doing in art. The show carries inspiration from different sources.

Ramsha Azmat, a visitor, said: “During this time the role of the garden has changed fundamentally. It has become an integral part of many people’s lives, the lifeblood of local communities, and a source of relaxation and leisure. More controversially, it is also an emblem of national identity, a target for commercial enterprise and an object of intense media interest. Each section explores an aspect of the myriad ways in which artists have responded to the garden, visually, emotionally, intellectually and aesthetically,” she said. The artworks will remain on display till Sept 26.