A tribute to the phenomenal

Celebrating 10 years, Phenomena by Pomme presented an art show like no other which celebrated select artists in a tribute to the masters and pioneers of the modern-day Pakistani art movement. Centred around the theme titled “Zenana Mardana,” this special art exhibit held at Frere Hall Sadequain Gallery orchestrated by Pomme Amina Afzal in collaboration with the Culture Department, KMC,  brought together several legendary artists of the Fine Art world and their works including Amin Gulgee, Abdul Jabbar Gul, RM Naeem, Sanki King, Imran Qureshi, Mehr Afroze, Nahid Reza, Sayeda Habib, Xandria Noir, Nazia Ejaz, Affan Baghpati and the unparalleled mastery of the likes of R. M. Naeem as the heavens above are adorned by the very hands of the legend Sadequain.

As magnificent as Frere Hall and as grand as the Masters’ paintings, one could only dream of having everything like this in one place. However, Pomme Amina Afzal, the curator of the show, brought old and contemporary masters together, accomplishing a highly successful feat and providing an incredible visual delight to Karachiites who have been longing to have a grand show like this since the pandemic has hit the world.

As one took the stairs towards the Sadequain Hall, one could hear the gothic music playing as it filled the air with a feeling of grandeur, instilling anticipation for what awaits. The hall was bustling with artists, Consul Generals, foreigners, collectors and art enthusiasts as these aficionados took the experience in, enthralled around mesmerizing portraits and works embellishing each and every crevice of the atrium.

With several different things happening all at once, it was a night to remember and relish. The left side walls were brimming with spectacular paintings of Meher Afroze, Abdul Jabbar Gul, Imran Qureshi, Jamil Naqsh and Ismail Gulgee. The right corner wall was surrounded by people taking an awe-inspiring gander in front of Sadequain’s masterpieces. Another section had gathered a huge crowd around and there where Amin Gulgee and Nazia Ejaz were executing an intriguing and meticulous art performance titled ‘The irritable Heart’. A huge almost 20 feet tall metal sculpture by Amin Gulgee titled ‘Impossible Growth’ stole attention from each attendee in all its exquisite grandness.

Transcribed as a night for The Phenomenal 10, the Zenana Mardana exhibition aimed to draw attention to a powerful theme of gender and its many nuances, manifesting as an important addition to the prevalent discourse of it all. As lines between the previously orthodox and ironclad trivialities of gendered stereotypes blur and the world moves to an era of acceptance and individualism, granted rather slowly, the need to prioritise these conversations in the mainstream becomes all the more important. Coupled with the intricacies and nuances of the art world and the collective embrace of varying interpretations, the recent exhibition stencilled itself as a grand resource of rich ideas and salient modulations on the topic of gender.

All artists uniquely produced their signature works explicating and rendering the theme of the show in all mediums and forms; from sculptures to portraits everything fell smoothly under the theme without stifling the true voice of the participating artists.

AJG’s sculptures might have depicted different gender identities, yet they spoke one language – which is of humanity. The portraits shown raising one hand each, hinted their submission to the notion put forward, and as lost pieces of a puzzle, they completed a tale.

Moving ahead towards R M Naeem’s works, one could witness this bold image of a female wearing a Kameez and Shalwar and a waist coat that would conventionally be attributed to a man’s wardrobe. Speaking along the lines of empowerment, the piece hung next to another portrait of a male wearing conventionally feminine clothes, seen covering the head with a scarf, inevitably diluting preconceived notions of gender and taking on an important conversation on the policing of one’s clothing, an issue that remains prevalent in our society to this day.

One who is habitual of seeing Imran Qureshi’s large-scale works would go closer to inspect the intricacies of the artist’s paintings installed in the hall. He continued in his own unique technique to represent the idea of Zanana and Mardana. Affan Baghpati, yet again, surprised viewers with his humorous and quirky take on the theme, amalgamating his own contemporary ideas and concepts. One striking piece that drew everyone’s attention was his depiction of Karachi Zoo’s Mumtaz Begum. Exploring the idea of duality and equality, Sayeda Habib delved deep into the souls of individuals through her paintings as audiences attempted to decipher the notion that she tried to convey. Appearing to be simpler, her work was yet mystical. Another point to highlight would be the works of Nahid Raza, as no one could visually explain feminism as wonderfully as she could.

The show also featured Sanki King, one of a kind graffiti artist, and his work titled ‘Anime’ which depicted his personal journey to understand his relationship with the Anime – a personification of all feminine psychological tendencies in a man’s psyche. Appearing to be words written in Urdu, on closer inspection, are actually signs and symbols that defines his process of closely understanding his inner femininity which has made him a better and a happier person, and has certainly also brought a change in his art trajectory.

Subtle and soothing to the eyes, Mehr Afroz installed a few layers of papers on which she wrote Urdu and Persian poetry as her signature. The enthralling and vibrant green visual depicting peace and solace was peeking through the light papers whereas embroidery over the vibrant green Takht represented traditional nuances in correlation with the theme.

The art show ultimately embraced the subject of gender equality where artists showcased their work and vision of what Zenana Mardana means to them. According to the curator, the movement behind gender equality has grown tremendously in the last decade, where male and female dynamics have gone from segregated to integrated. The role models have changed and there is a Zenana and Mardana to all of us.

The show will remain open until February 24^th 2022 at Frere Hall, Karachi.