Stars of the 5th Arjumand Award

Gallery 6 celebrates the 5th Arjumand Painting Award; Quratulain Dar, Safwan Bashir, Sadia Rathore, Bazil Habib, Imran Mughal, and Amna Rahman

The rise of contemporary art in Pakistan is celebrated through the Arjumand Painting Award (APA), paving the road for emerging painters to showcase their artwork and be awarded cash prizes of up to Rs 900,000. The APA has become a pivotal platform in promoting young artists, conceived in 2015 as an initiative by the Arjumand family, who established Gallery 6 in Islamabad. The 5th edition of APA was held in November 2023 at Al Hamra Art Gallery, Lahore, featuring a constellation of promising artists from all over the country. Among the 2023 awardees were Quratulain Dar, Safwan Bashir, Sadia Rathore, Bazil Habib, Imran Mughal, and Amna Rahman, together representing the next generation of contemporary painters and signaling intersections between socio-thematic politics, spatial explorations, hybridization of traditional techniques, and contemporary visual investigations. Their artworks were displayed at Gallery 6 as a group show titled “5 Sirius,” held on 30 April 2024.

Quratulain Dar, the recipient of the 1st Prize, presents a series of quirky surrealist portraiture that explores power dynamics through analogies of animalistic elements. Dar’s sense of humor heightens the power dynamics of her eccentric protagonists, drawing associations between the repressive status quo, societal dystopia of patriarchy, and masculinity. Her narrative building within works such as “Untitled” and “Entitled” reveals seated figures, one adorning a tiger head and fur coat, and the other comfortably commanding hunting dogs in front of a palatial mansion. The symbolism has been created to denote the shallow facade of masculinity through attire, ownership of material wealth, and pairing of vicious animals. The painting “Meat Eater” references the iconic Saturn Devouring his Son by Goya in a similar enactment where the figure’s teeth are biting into a pound of flesh. These depictions are powerful in their commentary on gender imbalance and the harsh reality of societal dynamics.

Safwan Bashir, awarded the 2nd Prize, presents unique distillations of the miniature tradition using large-scale works. Bashir’s delicate and nuanced paintings explore the dualities between naturalism and urbanism. The ephemeral mark-making and using nature as symbolism reveal a spiritual journey using landscapes. “The Lost Landscape” is a monumental achievement in scale of 66X31 inches that transports the viewer to an otherworldly realm that feels celestial and metaphysical.

The 3rd Prize was awarded to Sadia Rathore belonging to Baloch heritage, she uses hybridized miniature painting techniques creating pixelation and silhouettes within traditional textile motifs from her culture. Her piece “Gullon Main Rang Bharay” reveals a cutout of an artisan hard at work, this simple pairing immediately draws attention to the connection between the two. Fragmented the space to create voids of white background in “Tareek Raahe’n” “Khaak Main G’hul Gaye Hy Aab-e-Najoom” and “Gulshan Ka Karobaar” are suggestive of heritage and politics through the reassembly of textile motifs.

Bazil Habib and Imran Mughal are the recipients of Merit Prizes, their works offer powerful colour compositions. Habib’s formalistic linework as seen in “From Here To There” references the symmetry of urban environments as seen through the lens of night photography. “Please Have A Seat” and “From Here To There” have an illusionistic appearance that carefully incorporates neon orange and red as contrasting colours to the blue tones, this interplay of colour creates movement and vibration to the whole composition. Mughal’s exploration of multicultural folklore and indigenous narratives is exciting to interpret and explore. When going through the series “Arrival” holds a sky of constellations in the background with a mythical protagonist and creature companion in the foreground. These characters keep reappearing in “Discovery” “Golden River” and “Doorway” inviting viewers on a journey of wonder and whimsy.

The support and guidance of Dr. Arjumand Faisel, Curator of APA and Gallery 6 has been instrumental in providing a space for emerging talents to shine. Through his vision and passion for the arts, he has nurtured a new generation of artists. Gallery 6 and Ercelawn Art Fund awarded 5 female artists who participated in Arjumand Painting Award 2023 with an art retreat called “Sadequain Ki Anjuman Mein.” The retreat was held from 16 to 21 April 2024 at Arjumand Art Abode located in Pind Begwal, the outskirts of Islamabad. The selected artists were Maryam Ahsan, Nabiha Gillani, Ramsha Khan, Sabahat Nisar, and Ubaida Ghazanfar. The APA serves as a vital platform for recognizing and celebrating emerging painters, providing them with opportunities to showcase their talent and create a name for themselves in the art world. Their artworks serve as a testament to the innovation, creativity and inclusivity of today’s contemporary art.