Javed's fantasy world of lines and washes
Fayza Haq
Javed Jalil's ongoing exhibition titled "Lines of Madness" at the Goethe Institut, is a collection of intriguing pen and ink work with washes. He got into drawing and painting when he was in USA in 1991. After a traumatic accident Javed found salvation in studying the works of Picasso and Goya, and delving deep into the art world. "I tried to find my own language and felt that painting would be the way to involve myself mentally and spiritually," says Javed. "I try to deal with lines that are spontaneous and fluid. The drawing is like writing of inner thoughts. It takes up the climax of the visual world, which is subjective in its essence and objective in its execution. My thoughts reach out from a sensual journey not only into the world of exotic but one of fear and destruction. Sensation has its stimulation." The artists who inspire him include Francisco Goya and Gustaf Klimt. He also greatly admires the works of Michael Angelo. Javed's works recall the anger and destruction in Picasso's "Guernica" and Dante's "Inferno", dealing with the sins of the soul and the suffering in hell, says Shaheen Rashid of the Goethe Institut. He creates a pattern of twisting and twirling figures of men, women, animals and a fantasy world of joys and sufferings. This he does with quick pen and brush strokes, using a lot of black on white, with occasional touches of pale washes. In the works on display at the exhibition, lines are merging and melting together, slowly building up fascinating images in the visual world. The titles help the viewers perceive the drawings such as "Octopus women" "Dancing with the wind," and "Thoughts in the balance". Sometimes the artist thinks first of the title and then the drawing. At times it is vice versa. In this exhibition he has dealt with uncertainties, fears and the destruction of the environment. Some of the works are like "Infinite movement" where there are a lot of figures struggling for an ultimate goal. The black lines are used for concrete feelings rather than ornate beautification. One of the drawings deals with two angels playing with each other. "In this world all the pain has been transformed into tranquility," says Javed. "It also has a sensual and erotic feeling about it going by the gestures of the figures." There is a watercolour wash on top and one in oil at the forefront. "Thought in the balance" brings in a woman trying to find thoughts of right and wrong within herself. "Rare view with locked dreams" is an intricate, sensual work, which features a woman reaching out for freedom, guarding her dreams. "Soft clouds" stands for power and it brings in two figures contained in the stomach of an imaginary animal." Javed's fantasy forms are well worth seeing. The exhibition ends on June 14.
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Artworks by Javed Jalil |
