Posters to canvas, Lahore comes calling
7 Nov 2013 4:27 AM IST
The show exhibits twelve paintings that beautifully marry the intricacy of traditional miniatures with contemporary elements of pop art, using laser scoring and gouache on wasli paper. While the works appear to participate in a celebration of faith, particularly of Sufi traditions, Zeeshan is also interrogating a long tradition of rendering the intangibility of faith, myths and transcendental narratives. His work is less an evocation of faith than it is an examination into the power and longevity of a particular class of imagery.
Zeeshan’s earliest influences, however, were magazine illustrations. ‘There was a diary in my house which I came across... it belonged to a local bank and had the imagery of Chugtai illustrating Mirza Ghalib. I was quite taken with the images and wanted to draw them. But the local magazines, newspaper illustrations which were within my reach were definitely my most favourite.’
Zeeshan reveals, he was always interested in drawing. ‘It was an inherent thing…subconsciously noticing and observing my environment and drawing them once I reached home. I usually brought local digest/novels to bring home and copy their illustrations draw in them.’
‘Initially working as a billboard painter was an opportunity to learn and earn at the same time. The fear of the brush, paint got erased once I started working with such big surfaces at an early stage. Also I feel the technique the painters used gave me the confidence and understanding of materiality in relation to the surface.’
Zeeshan admits that the greatest influence on him has been the ‘culture shock’ that he experienced when he moved from a comparatively reserved society of Mirpurkhas (where he was born) to Lahore where he was exposed to the liberated and enriched environment of the National College of Arts.
Zeeshan’s earliest influences, however, were magazine illustrations. ‘There was a diary in my house which I came across... it belonged to a local bank and had the imagery of Chugtai illustrating Mirza Ghalib. I was quite taken with the images and wanted to draw them. But the local magazines, newspaper illustrations which were within my reach were definitely my most favourite.’
Zeeshan reveals, he was always interested in drawing. ‘It was an inherent thing…subconsciously noticing and observing my environment and drawing them once I reached home. I usually brought local digest/novels to bring home and copy their illustrations draw in them.’
‘Initially working as a billboard painter was an opportunity to learn and earn at the same time. The fear of the brush, paint got erased once I started working with such big surfaces at an early stage. Also I feel the technique the painters used gave me the confidence and understanding of materiality in relation to the surface.’
Zeeshan admits that the greatest influence on him has been the ‘culture shock’ that he experienced when he moved from a comparatively reserved society of Mirpurkhas (where he was born) to Lahore where he was exposed to the liberated and enriched environment of the National College of Arts.
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