Exhibition ‘Second Skin’ opens at Khas Gallery

By Mahtab Bashir

ISLAMABAD: An exhibition of paintings and photo prints titled ‘Second Skin’ by two budding artists opened at Khaas Gallery on Friday.

The exhibition by Lahore National College of Arts (NCA) graduates Ahsan Masood and Mohsin Shafi focuses on religious traditions in Pakistan, homosexual marriages, fundamentalism and extremism.

Explaining his work to Daily Times, Ahsan said the collection of his eight pieces on display were symbolic and related to different dimensions of human relationship.

Explaining a striking painting of acrylic on wood titled ‘Circumcision’, Ahsan said this painting highlighted the individuality that was disappearing swiftly among the people.

Masood said in the painting titled ‘Solha Singhar’ he had tried to salvage the pride of a person who was good looking, stylish, fashionable, trendy, cultured and well groomed but lived a hibernated life. “Generally, the word ‘Solha Singhar’ is associated with girls but there are males existing on this earth who have their own choices like females. Unfortunately, mimickers of society at large smash their living style,” Masood said.

Shafi through his 10 photo prints has highlighted the contemporary issues of fundamentalism and extremism. In most of his digital prints, Shafi has shown a man wrapped in a sheet that bears a handwritten story of his troublesome life, yet in search of self-exploration.

According to Mohsin, the person under a sheet, may be he himself, or may be anyone. Discover the core; discover the life there in, Moshin said.

“This is my life, a man in the process of self-discovery. The sheet is written with the lines from my life. Words and lines cover my real self. I hide in their warmth and find comfort in their familiarity,” Shafi said, adding, he wrote these lines from the pagers of his life.

The exhibition would continue at Khaas Gallery till January 25 from 11am to 6pm daily.

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