Islamabad
An exhibition featuring recent works of acclaimed artist Aqeel Solangi is going on here at Tanzara Gallery.
Titled ‘Tactile Journeys,’ the artworks immersed in mysticism are a visualisation of the recollections from the artist’s journey in time. The artist’s interest and inspiration, while he was attending a residency workshop in China, are also perceptible in his present body of works. With a distinguishing flavour in his paintings, the artist pursues to unite the spirituality of people and cultures worldwide. Solangi’s current works contain past experiences and moments of joy, grief, passion, fear and excitement, which are expressed in layers of time.
His paintings emanate inspirations of dance, proverbial speech and mythic-cum-mystic Sufi songs that are portrayed in integrated layers of time and steps of space. Solangi has depicted these inspirations innovatively to advance the dynamism of life.
The artist feels pride and satisfaction in the ability to have created happiness and joy for the beholder of his art products in the theoretical spirit of Max Ernst and in the portrayal pattern of Esteban Vicente, and exhibits sharp and brilliant abstract impressions in his paintings.
Tranquility of desert on ground is reflected in the emotions of full moon night’s sea in shape of clouds in the skies. He carries the expertise to retrieve an event of time from the blurred remains of memories and transits it as a vivid and vibrant piece of art. Images comprising lines, dots, shapes, colours, effects, signs, codes and impressions carry a wealth of information in a specific direction.
Purple colour in Forbidden City is a symbol of royalty, power, nobility and wisdom, which Roman emperors would wear while blue mirrors sky and ocean symbolising peace and piety.
St Basil’s onion domes of Moscow head the dragon pillars of Forbidden City, engraved with the imagery of the cotton flowers as found on the statuette of Mohenjo-daro’s priest king. Onion dome also corresponds to the turbines placed on the graves of the mausoleums of Sufi saints in Sindh, like Sakhi Shahbaz Qalander, the symbol of heavenly and worldly power. A hint of signifying re-emergence of Chinese might is also apparent in some art pieces. Geometry of artifacts reflects the marks of Makli architecture and networks of ajrak (shawl), the artist touching the limits of aesthetic insights. It is much more and far beyond the shapes, dimensions and degrees of memories woven in time and supported by planes of space. Noshi Qadir, the gallery curator and owner, termed the visuals powerful yet subtle with symbols and signs woven into the multi-layered paintings on canvas and paper. “The paintings are often dreamlike and surreal, void of human existence - the minimal landscapes transport the viewer to the artist’s mysterious world - where time stands still and all is calm. The serene earth, blue skies and soft clouds evoke feelings of being suspended in time.”
The exhibition will continue till October 14 from 11:30am to 7:00pm daily except Sundays.