ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON ARTNOW PAKISTAN
The famously quoted “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players” by Shakespear speaks of the undeniable connection between art and life, simultaneously we are drawn to the ultimate question “Does art imitate life or life imitate art?” presented by Oscar Wilde. The captivating compositions by Mohsin Shafi in his recent solo presentation at Tanzara Gallery are grounded in these observations and the dramatisation of life. They carry a multiplicite mastery of hand-cut paper collages within a medley of mediums that include watercolours, photo transfers, pencil colours, fabric, and even synthetic fibres. These diverse elements coalesce within a series of shadow boxes further reframed in unapologetically colourful Victorian-esque gilded frames creating a moving image or a miniature stage where harmony and hybridity are in a conquest of visual equilibrium.
In Shafi’s art practice, we closely encounter a fusion of techniques that blur the boundaries of traditional art forms. His heightened awareness of visual hybridity has its origins in reflecting on life experiences and the interconnected nature of identity, community, and culture. Each artwork is orchestrated after hermeneutic inquiry on culture and people resulting in a multilayered investigation of society that serves as a bridge for the viewer inviting them to traverse through the complexity of the human condition through a deeply personal lens of the artist. The hybridisation here eloquently emphasises the potential of imagery as a transformative experience of the world we inhabit. In this artistic odyssey, we embark on a journey of self-discovery, where the ever-shifting tapestry eludes to art’s profound ability to challenge the boundaries of our understanding, inviting the viewer to embrace the complexities that define the world. Each character offers a miniature world brimming with kaleidoscopic imagery, further pushing the act of observation to delve into its layers of meaning. The evocative symbolism in “Insomniac adventures in cozy winter nights” presents a floor made of eyes deepening the conversational narrative between the starkly different protagonists sharing a space similar to the nature of modern contemporary society. Through Shafi’s lens, we travel, using symbolism and object relationism as guides, drawing from the artist’s life experiences, memories, and literature.
A recurring theme within Shafi’s work is the exploration of societal dichotomies, a tension born from the juxtaposition of seemingly incongruous elements. Much like the fictional creature of Frankenstein, works such as “Forget the butterflies, I feel the entire zoo in my stomach when I am with you!” and “The Bodacious Show Man” bring together diverse fragments to visualise an illogical and absurdist portraiture. However, when we peer through the artist’s internal camera obscura lens, Shafi’s archetypes like “Gulabo” and “The Lover Boy” with their surreal and dreamlike dispositions, beckon us to venture into the intricate labyrinth of their situational presentations. Here, they serve as mirrors reflecting our own complexities, making sense of the seemingly nonsensical. A theatrical audience witnessing its the paradoxical visual spontaneity in a gathering of dystopian realities.
The titles of each artwork are carefully selected as invitations referencing familiar literary canon and popular culture phenomena creating a metaphorical guide to exploring the playful binaries between motion and static, light and shadow, hand-cut paper and digital print or optical illusion and reality. “Main baal banayun kis kay liye” urges us to confront the paradoxes of our existence and the mysteries of our perception by showing the protagonist clutching onto a large stuffed teddy bear while holding a drill machine to his head. The very act of witnessing these creations opens the door to a world where the rational and the fantastical coexist. Shafi’s ensemble of characters in “……We are nothing in between” and “Baraaye Shanakht” transcend the confines of human representation. The dissection of bodies and erasure of facial features allow a moment of transmutation where these beings can traverse freely between the realms of the animalistic and the anonymous within enigmatic chambers of interior landscapes, and the vast, ever-evolving exterior scapes. This expansion mirrors the multifaceted nature of contemporary society, emphasising the interconnectedness of all facets of our existence.
Shafi’s art practice serves as a testament to the power of art in challenging our perceptions, evoking introspection, and bridging the gap between the rational and the fantastical. Through the expertly chosen titles and boldly coloured frames that act as portals into his world, he draws in his audiences into a new reality. The incorporation of the art of “Kut Puttli” becomes an act of resistance as it preserves the cultural heritage of puppetry while creating a commentary on the larger discourse on the meaning of “Fine Art”. It challenges preconceived notions about art and the role of the artist in contemporary society. The show is titled “Theatre of Absurdities” where the viewer can experience the timeless allure of the artist’s lens that can transform the mundane into the extraordinary, and the absurd into the profoundly resonant. It opened on the 31st of August, 2023 and continued to the 14th of September, 2023.
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