An article by Mian Naeem

The first display of artifacts at the newly set up Frames Enframed Art Gallery comprises a variety of paintings and calligraphic works. Most paintings are landscapes, made by artists of various age groups and academic backgrounds.
The landscapes by senior painter Khalid Iqbal are a real treat for art lovers. He creates a beautiful visual texture by skilled and spontaneous brushstrokes. In one of the works, he paints a tree with yellow flowers in the middle and dry grass in the foreground. A building and a fading row of distant trees serve as a background.
Mr Nazeer composes a tree with red flowers in his landscape, using oil on the canvas. A Mughal monument in the background adds to the beauty of the painting. However, the sky is flat and monotone.
The landscapes by W Yaqoot are rendered in minute details. In one of the works, he paints two trees, with their reflections in water and shrubs and foliage in the foreground. Mud houses and a row of fading trees serve as a background.
A sunset scene by M Arshad is painted by using thin layers of oil paint on the two-textured canvas. A tree, composed almost in the middle, and the setting sun in the background, remain the focus of the artist. He puts in a great effort in rendering the details of foliage in the foreground.
The landscapes by Zulfi depict rural life. G N Qazi portrayed daily life in the Walled City by using water colours on paper.
Chitra Pritam juxtaposes frontal and profile portrait images of a female. The stylized images are painted, using opaque layers of paint on the canvas.
Blue drapery dominates the stylized female figure by Kazim. Mr Rind has put on display very colourful and stylized female portraits. His palette is rich and he creates a variety of visual textures, employing delicate and detailed brushstrokes. Sarah had put on display a large number of abstract images which were rich in colour.
Mashkoor Raza, Farrukh Shahab, Moazzam Ali and Mansoor Aye also displayed their paintings. The recent works by innovative calligrapher Arif Khan and masterpieces of traditional calligraphy by Muhammad Ali Zahid are also part of the display. The emergence of a new art gallery and the trend of investing in artworks is a god omen for the promotion of visual arts in Pakistan.

Author: (c) Mian Naeem
Art Critique
Lahore, Pakistan.