About ten years ago two artists had a dialogue on art and a bond of friendship developed between them now they unite again in an art exhibition titled "And They Meet Again" at Artchowk art gallery. The two artists were Bertrand Bellon - a painter and a photographer from Paris, France and Akram Dost Baloch - founding faculty member of the Fine Arts Department at University of Balochistan from Quetta, Balochistan (Pakistan).
One can enjoy the intrinsic elements in the works of each artist. The paintings have great influence of their native land. The images hold up the mirror to viewers which show their homeland, its domestic life and society.
The distinctive environment of the gallery created by the two men artworks takes me through the mind and soul of the two artists. Their paintings and drawings focus on the details of the landscape and the life in their home town. I feel their attachment to their soil, their ethnic affiliation, their inborn relation to their country.
Bertrand Bellon paintings portray the soft and affectionate French lifestyle in bold and beautiful hues of deep red, sea blues, grass greens and ochre. His compositions and use of colours show his intense association with his surrounding. His latest creation in pastel and charcoal crayon brings another subtle way of seeing the daily life of France. His paintings depict a life in the city like living in the countryside. You can also see a wide range of his oil paintings at the show.
Bertrand is not only a painter he is a perfect photographer too, his two artistic creations are closely link together. He has exhibited the pictures of his trips and paintings in more than 30 countries of the world.
On the other hand Akram Dost Baloch depicts the physically resilient mood of Balochistan through his rich palette. His recent body of work show indigenous atmosphere of his origin. The ethnicity of the artist is strongly reflected in his work.
A new dimension to the local lifestyle can be witness in his artworks. The "Dark Portraits" in charcoal on paper of men and women reflects the miseries they face during their hard lives.
Much of Akram's paintings incorporate his in-depth knowledge of history, arts and crafts of his region, Balochistan. As Akram grew up in the surroundings with a rich cultural background his work is always seem to be influenced with that information written in his mind.
He like his paintings with decorative frames, screens containing painted panels and compositions of wood which also reflect his different moods. The thick lines and rainbow colours are some distinct features of his artworks. A variety of Akram's work is a reflection of his own personal aesthetic issues. His work combines nature with life thus shows his involvement with his soil. Some of his work show miniature type work of Mughal era giving it a new look.
In 2004, Akram Baloch received the President's Pride of Performance, the highest art award in Pakistan. This exhibition shows the two artists conversing through their paintings keeping the viewers engage. One feels an immutable silence in their artworks.
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