Art in Pakistan has become more about acquiring than about experiencing. The emotions that art evokes seem to have been lost in the middle of a rat race to buy the most expensive art pieces.
In order to sustain the dying art (pun intended) of valuing artwork for its ability to strike a chord within those that cast their eyes upon it, art connoisseur Seher Tareen has been putting together powerful shows featuring young artists who have something meaningful to share.
Tareen launched an art installation featuring emerging artist Julius John at the Rohtas 2 art gallery in Lahore on January 6, 2014. John, who is a graduate of the National College of Arts, Lahore, has made navigation through geographical and social divides the primary focus of his work.
He draws inspiration from the neighbourhood of Kot Lakhpat, a residential area in Lahore where he grew up, and quite interestingly, an open sewer that divides it from the more affluent suburbs that surround it. “Three years ago, the district government decided to build a road that resulted in tearing down parts of houses,” says John. “The road is still not made and has pushed the residents of this mainly low-income community further and deeper into their broken homes,” he adds.
Using black, white and red, John creates a walk through space with immense depth and symbolism. PHOTO: SHAFIQ MALIK/EXPRESS
For his first solo show, John creates a walk through space with immense depth and symbolism. There are references to the social and religious divide that plague the country. The space has been utilised using three components — painted walls, bathtub installations and shadows that they make on a wall.
“All the images I have created in this installation come from the rooftop of my fiancé’s house,” explains John. “Her house is next to a graveyard, which is what I have used in this particular show.”
Even for someone who does not understand symbolism, John’s work will speak volumes in multiple ways. The bathtub filled with sludgy black paint signifies the open sewer and on some levels, a steep divide that has marred the country.
This installation could mean a number of things: the Christmas tree has become more of a cultural icon in today’s world and it is as if John is commenting on the dying culture in Pakistan through his work.
“The second grave installation juxtaposed in an eerie opposite state of death-like stillness, alludes to fatalist inaction,” says Tareen. The artist uses black pastel and creates an image of his neighbourhood in a frozen moment. Apart from two light bulbs that are used to create the shadows, the entire space is covered in darkness, which implicates the plight of the people residing in Kot Lakhpat.
PHOTO: SHAFIQ MALIK/EXPRESS
“The darkness that lingers in his pieces mirrors the apocalyptic references in the Bible that he so often, and at times satirically, uses as inspiration for his art,” says Tareen. “Julius is a thinking artist; every placement of colour, every stroke and the positioning of every object is well thought out and serves a bigger purpose. Analysing his work is like having a conversation with a brilliant mind.”
John has a very strong point of view that he maintains to be completely his own. “I speak for myself and what I see,” he continues, “I don’t speak for the minorities or anyone. I am a dreamer — I decide my own destiny and I have carved my path for myself,” says the artist.
Perhaps valuing such inspiring art would help us acknowledge the value of life and instill in us the values of unity and fraternity.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 8th, 2014.
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