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Many cultural and art events were cancelled in Karachi in June because of the disturbances due to rain. One cancelled event was the travelling exhibition: Landmarks of New York, a collection of photographs of New York City landmarks, commissioned to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the New York Landmarks Preservation Act. Since images of many of the subjects had been captured by internationally renowned photographers and the results documented in a 630-page book, the exhibition was anticipated with interest but continued to tour without the Karachi session at the VM Gallery as was initially planned.
One of the events that took place to brighten the dark, cyclone-threatened days was the preview of a stunning exhibition of paintings by Faiza Kassim due to be shown in July at the Trunkt Gallery, New York. Faiza, who showed her work to an invited audience at a friend’s house, was delighted that so many braved the rain to view her work, a collection of abstract paintings that elicited admiration from the audience. The artist, a former student of Nayyar Jamil, has several solo exhibitions to her credit in Islamabad and Karachi. Her first important solo exhibition was held at the Indus Gallery in 1996 where her work was highly appreciated by S. Ali Imam, who encouraged her to exhibit.
The Unicorn Gallery held an exhibition of Jamil Naqsh’s work to celebrate the Gallery’s third anniversary, while Gulmohar organized an exhibition by Mansoor Salim. Meanwhile, it was a good time to visit galleries and view the diverse group shows assembled. These are always interesting as one finds the work of artists from several sources and paintings from artists generally seen in solo displays. At the Chawkandi Art, it was exciting to view the latest work of sculptor Tariq Luni, who had several fine pieces on display. Still with a discernable link to nature, the artist’s wood carvings revealed his genuine talent and regard for the media with the grain of the wood entering the overall composition. Tariq Luni has great potential which he is steadily fulfilling. Observing his recent work, it was exhilarating to note the developments taking place and the assurance with which he creates the compositions to be viewed from several angles. Also in the gallery was an exquisite example of Mughees Riaz’s painting, showing the skies over the River Ravi, blending colours of the sunrise with classic perfection.
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