A collaborative art and book exhibition concluded here Tuesday at gallery 8b2 featuring a collection of art by visual artist Anjum Alix Noon and inspirations from ‘Culinary Tales of Baluchistan’ by Nilofer Afridi Qazi.
The show titled ‘Food For Thought’ carries as many as 55 pieces in the medium of acrylic on canvas that revolved around content and context from the book ‘Culinary Tales from Balochistan’ by Nilofer Afridi Qazi.
The book is presented as a journal of recipes, anecdotes, folklore, travels, places, history, hospitality, people and memories. The artwork has developed around these elements.
“Nilofer’s book is the inspiration that I used by art to display in this show. Having collaborated with diverse disciplines, I developed it into an artist’s journey through a book. The initial approach was a visualization of an imaginary travelogue composed of sketches, scribbled notes, maps and historical layering into various elements. Thus, I made a basic analysis and mind mapping of those materials, references and sources,” said Anjum Alix Noon about his work.
“Culinary Tales from Baluchistan” took me to vast landscapes where people and places appeared as figments and memories. The abstractions combine old photographs, ancient irrigation Karez system, Bardasht (goat’s shoulder bone), Dastarkhwan and Dawat. The artwork is eclectic and holistic, using several mediums such as linocut, stencils, acrylic paints, and aquarelle on paper, canvas and Wasli (handmade paper) in small to large formats.
Its focal point is the creative process and how ideas have formed and developed. The artistic effervescence is made up of endless spheres of creativity that navigates into the realm of the imagination and the end results are colorful and vivid.—INP
