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Sculpting a lullaby Humaira Abid at Rohtas 2

By Alina Amjad

LAHORE: A sculpture can be equated with a story, a concept or an idea. It has evocative storytelling ability and evokes one’s senses in a way that is incomparable with the capacity inherent in two-dimensional art. And Humaira Abid’s sculpting portrays the diversity and sense of meaning vested in this art. She has mastered her carving tools with immense precision and a love for detail. Her work is stimulating, captivating, moving and exceptionally relatable.

Abid’s work is a true depiction of a woman’s point of view towards everyday life. The ideas behind her work are ordinary, arising from her own experience and observation of family, marriage, motherhood and so on. Themes related to motherhood are recurrent in her work, and when asked about the reason, Abid conceded that her work was largely based on family.

Titled ‘Lullaby’, the collection is diverse, yet similar. The crowning glory of this collection is the artist’s keen ability to not only express joy through sculpture, but also depict pain and suffering. Sculpted razors and surgical instruments are a reflection of personal pain. Her skill manifests itself in the ability to turn soft, fluid objects into a rigid mould of wood. Water droplets suspended from taps and ripples in wood-brilliantly carved in ‘Fountain Head’- depict just that.

Mostly experimenting with Mahogany (sheesham) wood in her sculptures, Abid not only manipulates the inherent graphic quality the kind of material she’s using, but also attempts to use different techniques, such as carving with an axe and sandblasting, to ensure maximum detail. A graduate of the National College of Arts (NCA), Abid work is scintillating through its rhythmic multiplicity in the paradigms of meaning and understanding. It is truly entertaining, and provides the viewer with massive food for thought.

The exhibition continues at Rohtas 2, Model Town until November 14 from 11am to 7pm (except Sundays).

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