Moazzam Ali – The watercolour maestro

Shoulder: Moazzam Ali’s constant revolves around the cultural heritage of Pakistan, his content linked to the inhabitants of the Indus civilization, narrating the stories of the past and the present

Although Pakistan has seen its fair share of watercolour masters over the years, in this age of modern mediums and digitisation, it is still commendable to see many people keep the medium alive through sheer dedication and immense display of skill.

One such dedicated soul who consistently pours colourful talent onto blank canvases is Moazzam Ali. His artist roots go way back to his childhood when he took upon drawing as to express, drawing anything and anyone he came across, encapsulating his experiences on paper. Eventually, Ali chose to major in the arts and happened to graduate from the Karachi School of Arts in 1980, securing a first position gold medal in Sindh. Not only has he been crowned as a ‘Master of Watercolour’ by the Whitney Museum New York, but has received numerous accolades including the Pakistan President’s Pride of Performance Medal of Excellence (Tamgha-e-Imtiaz) in the field of Painting.

When it comes to the artist’s work, there’s a single dominant word that comes to a viewer’s mind; boldness. Breaking tethers of expected watercolour traditions, he takes on bold colours and compositions, treading the line between transparency and opacity within the same medium. His recent exhibition showcases one of his dominant skills within the realms of watercolours, delving into a plethora of free-flowing vibrant colours all whilst displaying an avid inclination towards the classic impasto strokes often seen in acrylic works. The artist seamlessly manages to collide worlds into his work, where the intricate control needed over a medium as difficult as watercolour remains evident, but an urge to break conventionality is vibrantly visible where enhanced brush strokes can be quite distinctly seen.

There’s a conflict between being gestural with a free-flowing instrument and being blatantly refined with his technique; the end result is quite an avant-garde culmination of both these spheres, which nestles itself perfectly in the subject matter and the stories these canvases narrate. Shedding a light on women as the central focus in his works, something the artist has consistently done, he effortlessly captures a special side to the portrayal of women in art away from objectification. He views the women he paints as a giver of life and a protector. But that’s not their identity in these artful borders; these women are not living their life to provide for someone else as society often stencils them as. Instead, they are living for themselves, seen in striking visuals wearing colourful clothes and statement earpieces, catching the scent of a rose, picking out a sunflower, or gazing into the great beyond with a sense of fulfilment or self-satisfaction. One may approach such subject matter warily when analysing it, hoping to catch an ounce of bias or unwarranted embellishment from the male gaze, but the artist’s work doesn’t aim for social commentary. Moazzam Ali’s constant revolves around the cultural heritage of Pakistan, his content linked to the inhabitants of the Indus civilization, narrating the stories of the past and the present. It represents a peek into the rich history of these people, rendering their life to a beautiful celebration of femininity and culture.

Each line and every texture that follows aims to have meaning and purpose, every stroke adding its own significant value to the larger composition. Like a musical ensemble creating a masterful production, every layer complements the melody the artist wants to present. The colour palette of choice projects the boldness and richness of these characters and their environment, where fiery flashes of reds, blues, and greens take centre stage. His figures hold traditional ethnic features and the artist’s expertise allows him to display emotion in an intricate way, especially through their eyes. These individuals do not bend the knee but break the wheel in their own way, seen experiencing a sense of joy and contentedness with the life and colour around them.

A viewer is not only met with pleasing visuals but is taken on a journey amidst these lively personas, eventually taking in the gush of striking beauty these paintings aim to deliver. Moazzam Ali’s skill in representing such a feeling for his audiences remains unparalleled, brought to perfection by decades of experience and skill.