|
|
 |
 |
 |
| Wednesday, 9 June 2004 |
 |
|
 |
Artscope | |
| News Business Features Editorial Security Politics World Letters Sports Obituaries
|
Kazim in Colombo: Sensitive paintings by Prasad Abu Bakr Artist Ali Kazim's work was first shown in Colombo in a group exhibition as a result of his participating in the International Artist Camp held sometime back. It was the first experience of the artist to have exhibited abroad and the more encouraging signal was that Kazim sold all the pictures that he decided to show. This may be one reason why a prestigious gallery such as `Paradise Road Galleries' decided to invite this artist from Pakistan to show `more' to Colombo's art circles in an exhibition that is currently showing. His earlier work has been described as focusing upon organic forms, mostly seeds, pods and plants that had a faint resemblance to human body parts made to appear in sensitive but sparse composition. In recent times Kazim has transformed into more acute detail showing more compelling human and animal figures that critics have observed to carry an ambience of timelessness that has a hint of sensuous and even erotic connotations in their forms. Working mostly in watercolour the artist creates fine luminous surfaces laying layers of pigment which eventually give his work an effect that resembles to have been executed with oils, which is a medium, he admits! that he works very little with. A very soft spoken and mild person, artist Ali Kazim was born in a little Punjabi village called Pattoki in his native Pakistan, before his involvement with art. Kazim worked at the district hospital of Kasur. However, it was probably too much for this young man to keep his passions all tucked away which made him explore the possibilities of paving his way through at making art a full time profession. But it was a doctor, Professor R.M. Naeem that made him realize his ambitions. During his tenure at the National College of Arts Kazim won a scholarship which further strengthened his will to achieve his goal. In 2002 Kazim graduated from the National College with a distinction in his chosen field. This also later gave him the opportunity to work as a visiting lecturer at the college for a period of time. Since he always had an undying fascination for illustration and cinema besides developing his painting, Kazim found himself involved in the medium of films in Pakistan. He worked along side leading film makers involving himself in many video productions as an assistant in directing the contents. But painting loomed out of the shadows every time he got involved in other work. Painting however, as it is known to be, has a variety of sides to it especially in the mind of an artist involved with it as a creative exercise. The various techniques evolved within the sphere of painting are vast. It is one artistic experience and method that has grown out of many boundaries. As an artist it was Lahore that set his mind exploring many possibilities that haunted his young mind back in his village. This was set in his mind while reading a book based on fiction by a leading Pakistani writer, says Kazim. One of the short stories in that book described how artists sat around Anarkali Bazaar [a place where the book suggested had leading artists sat around working and sipping tea] "this is how I wanted to visit Lahore and the Anarkali Bazaar, I wanted to meet those artists". But according to him the Lahore experience was very disappointing it was a vast difference from what he had read about. Kazim excelled in fantasizing about the Anarkali Bazaar and found out for himself that those artists that were painting and sipping tea did not appear as vividly as the book has suggested. All these are past incidents in Kazami's life that have helped him mature as an artist over the years. Today he looks back with a sense of pride at his achievements in such a short span of time. Kazim who is only 25 years old has matured in his work giving them more form and meaning using an exuberance through colour in his work. During his first visit to Sri Lanka, Kazim was so fascinated by the country, that he decided to stay back and explore what it had to offer in the way of its rich culture to an artist from outside its shores, visiting it for the first time. It might have been a bonus to artist Kazim to have been invited by Shanth Fernando to show his work at Fernando's Gallery, giving him an opportunity the second time around to experience, travelling and seeing Sri Lanka, a place which probably has that exoticism which is vastly represented in this young artists work. **** Back **** |
|
News | Business | Features
| Editorial | Security
Produced by Lake House |
