Artists talk to the viewers in the language of visuals but artist Sajjad Ahmed skilfully used his talent in exploring this language in various mediums in a recent solo exhibition titled "Spirit of Visuals" at Sanat Gallery, Karachi. The simplicity of things appealed him in this digital era of multi-media. He created simple and subtle expressions that have strongest impressions on the viewers.
Basically he got inspired by an image although he used text in his artworks but he see text as an image besides its lingual use and text is fundamentally an image for him. Some times an event or a myth inspires him and he transforms it in his artworks. He discovers and rediscovers his surrounding world by interpreting variable visions of visuals through his artworks. The media he chooses for an artwork help him creating a better image he wanted to expose to others.
His artworks signify a personal experience or a phenomenon or a word or an event that he feels must be discussed and hence tried to start a dialogue that may help tackling that specific issue. The body of work was portrayal of what he thinks and what actually exists around him thus an amalgamation of reality and imagination. Comprising 18 pieces of artworks consists of digital prints and mono chancel videos in two-dimensional forms the exhibition touched every aspect of Sajjad's a decade long career from 2007-2017. In each of his art pieces he quietly hint some thing important that need to be addressed by the society. And let everybody know indirectly what he wanted to convey to the masses in a very natural and simple style.
He brings forth a contrast between two things so people can understand his hidden message more precisely. He narrates very easily his inner feelings and views without any disguise. The veracious facts lay naked in his artworks. This can easily be seen in his series of paintings titled "Being & Nothingness". Graduated from Beacon house National University, Sajjad's visual vocabulary reflected the usual daily life of people around him. He describe the themes of his artworks between lines, text, colour, geometrical shapes and known patterns of objects to common people so they can relate to the artworks through these objects and shapes hence he produce artworks that are understandable to viewers and they immediately connect to his artworks.
He has touched the subjects from art history to economics to globalization in his works, which assists people in recognizing and identifying many different issues surrounding us in the present times. He wanted others to acquire knowledge from his works and understand its real meaning. He chose recognizable images to distinguish between facts and fiction for people to comprehend the sheer scale of the problems we face as a society. His artworks showed no boundaries only free environment to take a deep breath of fresh air.
Abid Merhant, Director Sanat Gallery, explained beautifully the art practice of artist Sajjad Ahmed in a foreword he wrote, "Creativity Takes Courage." These three words by Henri Matisse describe best the art practice and career of Sajjad Ahmed." In Ahmed's own words, "As an artist, I am looking at the broader universal discourse since the world has come closer and the art world has extended."
"Ahmed's works addresses a diverse extent of concerns revolving around relationships between Representation and Abstraction, Globalisation and Existentialism. His subjects accompany a strong formal visual language." "With his current exhibition Sajjad Ahmed takes his practice of 10 years forward through an ever growing formalist approach and analyzes the impact of globalisation, investigates the aspect of placing the representational onto two-dimensional pictorial surface, explores the ways meaning is derived out of text and implicated through images, and creates an experience where purity of form determines the content."
His artworks present depth and vastness as if he wanted to see beyond an eye can hold. He wanted to know what's on the other side. The artworks titled "Heaven and Earth (II)", "A Slice of Time (I)"and "A Slice of Time (II)" explains this fact clearly. With minimal contents in his works Sajjad manages not only venture in various subjects of interest but also able to communicate with the viewers in a very sophisticated and general manner so everyone get involved and take part in bringing a change in our society.
Using text as an image was also a step to come close to people via language they easily understand and remember. And therefore minimalism in his work narrated bold stories. The relationship of text and image was visible in an artwork titled 'Always Forever Now (IV)', a triptych in inkjet print on photo-matte paper. The red, green and blue colour thin lines created an illusionary effect with written words 'Always Forever Now' respectively in separate boxes. The colours used with the text indicated the depth of words and meaning in today's context.
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