LAHORE The first ever solo exhibition of water-color & pencil sketch works of the young brilliant artist Mahmood Hayat was inaugurated by Shahid Hamid, former Punjab governor, at Nairang Art Galleries on Friday. It is certainly a unique collection of extraordinary work by a highly talented extra-ordinary artist with an artistic horizon matching the one which great artists of the Renaissance possessed. After quite a long time, there is one solo exhibition of a young artist who reminds us of the great Renaissance iconic artists and of the Pakistani world of art’s grand masters, like Saeed Akhtar and Late Collin David. Mahmood Hayat, a mild mannered man with a never-ending, insatiable hunger for creativity, was pushed into the world of art by his elder brother at the age of six with a brush to paint surfaces in the French style. His strong lines and his mastery over the skill of portrait-making with astonishing depth and details make him a unique artist of the present times. This is his first ever exhibition where he is about to share his creative genius with the art lovers and general public. The former Punjab governor, Shahid Hamid, will inaugurate the solo show while the exhibition will continue till October 23. Commenting on his work Mahmood told this scribe: “I am an artist who is passionate about drawing traditional and stylized animals and portraits of the interesting characters which influence my life. At an early age I was taught how to paint on wooden tables and mirrors, a technique known as Trompe-l’œil and stained glass. I have also been engaged with photography and documenting videos by creating drawings and architectural murals to the scale. Before that, I was in a state of denial which made me lose most of my magnificent art works because everyone kept telling me that I will never make money being an artist.” Mahmood, a graduate from NCA, answer the question why he draws: “The way I see life in the 21fst century, it is full of chaos and suffering. Television and digital arts are adding to a “Cult of Ugliness” projecting violence, frustration and chronic depression. Seeing the world has turned its back on pleasantness, I believe I have a remedy for this and the name of that remedy is Beauty. I believe beauty has a value, which is as important as truth and goodness like any peaceful religion.” “I take my work personally, because it brings me solace and loosing myself in that moment where I become so engrossed that I start dreaming about my work. Capturing the essence of a subject through those eyes and dropping wet colors, watching them grow on thick sheets of paper is what I love expressing. With exposure to the extensive knowledge and time spent with senior creative people led him to enjoy and discover listening to a different genre of music. “With that, I started wondering and contemplating on a concept where I could magnify sound through natural means (without a crossover) and as a designer use that experience and design something esthetically pleasing rather than a dull box emitting sound of music. The theory of the golden section really inspired me, and with this I designed esthetically hand crafted speaker enclosures. These handmade speakers serve not only a utilitarian purpose, but they also contribute and compliment beauty in the surroundings they are kept.” Mahmood wants his viewer to feel motivated towards life, when looking at his art works. He says: “I want to take them to a whole new world where color brings life and excitement. To present a different ray of hope where you can go wild with your imagination and create wonderful thoughts. I hope I can do my part and inspire as much as I can, to connect with the world. My urge to create, makes me see the world as my canvas,” he goes on.
