Presenting. Nature and Self. an Exhibition of works by. Seemab Tariq. 23rd-27th September 2014 The Strand Gallery John Adam Street London WC2N 6BP

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1 Presenting Nature and Self an Exhibition of works by Seemab Tariq 23rd-27th September 2014 The Strand Gallery John Adam Street London WC2N 6BP

2 Ayyari Gallery is delighted to present a beautifully inspiring collection of works by Karachi based Seemab Tariq. This is a collection which dramatically draws upon the artist s personal experience spanning a timeframe of almost a decade, and embarks on a journey which explores his relationship with himself and with the wider universe. Seemab has achieved a vividly imaginative and striking collection. This is a mesmerising body of work, consisting of bold and colourful pieces brimming with a love for life and energy. Colour is the driver here. Bursts of vibrant stokes of colour evoke a stirring mass, which then seem to melt away or metamorphose into lines, or flowering figures. Shapes are formed although it is at times left to the viewer s imagination to wonder what that shape...or person...is. Serenely beautiful combinations of colour ease the mind and take you into an otherworld-ness where there is calm and vulnerability. Strong calligraphic lines lead you in into riots of colour and take you on a journey of your imagination into the world that Seemab has created. Born out of the vibrant and cosmopolitan art scene in Karachi, Seemab s work sits very comfortably on the international art scene. Born in 1980, Seemab holds a BFA M in Painting from the Indus Valley School of Arts and Architecture, Karachi and an MFA Traditional Arts of Islamic Calligraphy from the National College of Arts, Lahore. Seemab has participated in numerous exhibitions in Pakistan and Dubai. He currently lives and works in Karachi. Page 1

3 Fury 36 x 48 Page 2

4 Red Alif 36 x 30 Page 3

5 Purple Alif 18 x 36 Page 4

6 Alif Constructed 24 x 28 Page 5

7 Deep Purple 15 x 30 Page 6

8 Into the Deep 18 x 30 Page 7

9 Outlook 24 x 36 Page 8

10 Thunder 18 x 28 Page 9

11 Waterfall 48 x 48 Page 10

12 Unleashed 60 x 37 Page 11

13 Introspection 60 x 37 Page 12

14 Floating Clouds 48 x 48 Page 13

15 Abundance 42 x 27 Page 14

16 Setting Sail 12 x 30 Page 15

17 Red Alif II 24 x 30 Page 16

18 Blaze 28 x 24 Page 17

19 Autumnal Haze 12 x 27 Page 18

20 Bloom 18 x 18 Page 19

21 Perfect Storm 17 x 30 Page 20

22 Summer 36 x 24 Page 21

23 Pink Sunrise 36 x 24 Page 22

24 Dusk 24 x 30 Page 23

25 Mirage 24 x 30 Page 24

26 Eruption 30 x 24 Page 25

27 Extroversion 20 x 30 Page 26

28 Land Sea and Air 36 x 18 Page 27

29 Flourish 30 x 17 Page 28

30 Deep Water 30 x 16 Page 29

31 Golden Summer 30 x 16 Page 30

32 Mirage II 24 x 29 Page 31

33 Purple Horizon 24 x 30 Page 32

34 Blue Alif 24 x 18 Page 33

35 Seemab Tariq Seemab Tariq is an elusive contemporary artist living and working from his studio in Karachi, Pakistan. As a nine year old boy, Seemab s earliest experience with art began when he collected discarded sketches by local art students out of a rubbish bin, took them home and stitched the pages together. He then used the reverse side of the pages to create his own sketches Tragic events in his childhood, such as the loss of a close school friend to cancer, significantly shaped Seemab s formative years. The emotional turmoil he suffered was exacerbated by strained relations with his father, and affected Seemab s psychological state for many years and which still lasts to this day. He is the son of popular artist Tariq Javed, and cites Anna Molka Ahmed, a pioneer in Pakistani fine art, as his single greatest influence. Seemab has gone on to create his own distinctive style. He does not make preparatory sketches, preferring to paint straight on to the canvas. Still only 34 years of age, he has been practising art for 25 years. Seemab has previously exhibited in Dubai, and on numerous occasions in Pakistan. Having become increasingly withdrawn, Seemab s last exhibition was in 2009 at the renowned Unicorn Gallery, Karachi. This exhibition is the first of Seemab s work to be displayed in London Page 34

36 The Significance of Alif Throughout this collection, the most common symbol which features in the pieces is the letter Alif. Alif if the mysterious and spiritual first letter of the Arabic alphabet, and is also the number 1. It has come to represent the Beginning, and of the origins of Creation itself. It features as the first letter in the Qu ran, and is the first letter in the word for God - Allah. Written in a single downward stroke, it symbolises the descent of revelation, and the human connection to the divine, pointing to our own origin. Alif has an aura of mystery derived from the fact that it forms part of a series of letters which appear at the beginning of certain chapters in the Qu ran Alif, Lam, Meem. These letters have their own special significance which have been the subject of much scholarly discussion, and attempts to decipher the meaning of Alif Lam Meem has spanned over many centuries, although the meaning is still unknown. Page 35