Art attack

We all love art don’t we? Even if we don’t understand every creation, we just can’t resist losing ourselves in a piece of artwork. Yes, viewing works of art is a good way to spend the day and give peace to one’s mind. This is why the Karachiites were so excited when the news of an art exhibition by YBQ came out. For those who don’t know, Yousuf Bashir Qureshi, popularly known as YBQ, is a fashion designer who runs a fashion house cum art gallery known as the ‘Commune’. He is known for his tremendous work in the fashion world and is also recognised by all for possessing a keen artistic sense. His warehouse is a place where one finds exhibitions of paintings, sculptures and photography taking place, with drama events, films and a design section with clothes designed by the talented artist.

Over the years, the designer and artist polished his skills by experimenting with various mediums to express himself. These include painting, sculpting, photography, and writing.

And this year he decided to finally reveal all that he has learnt in an exhibition titled ‘Recollection’. The event was held by Catalyst and had in attendance people from the fashion and media industry.  The collection showcased Yousuf Bashir Qureshi’s past and current artworks.

With this debut art showcased in Pakistan, YBQ plans to reach out to millions of hearts of art-fanatics and illustration-lovers. Now coming to the exhibition, this one was different from the rest as one artist was responsible for the paintings as well as the photographs. What caught our attention was a series of mixed media sculpted portraits. The features of the subjects in the paintings were painted in gold and in another artwork the canvas was plain and white and just included the print of a hand. The portraits showcased at the exhibition were by Shahnaz Ismail, Ratti Jinnah, Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy and cricketer Waseem Akram.

There was also a breathtaking series of photographic prints. There was a large framed piece described as ‘mixed media on vintage wooden door’ and it was a unique work of art with a glimpse of nature and the modern world within it. YBQ exhibited his work on contemporary lines and used various mediums to express himself. The best part about his artwork was that you could see painting, sculpting, photography and writing in his artwork. YBQ’s work depicted the rich culture and tradition of our homeland, ranging from mountains and hills to music and architecture. And he combined his knowledge of art and fashion designing to make his own distinction and create his own signature style.

Judging from the exhibition, we could see that some people are born with natural talents and Yousaf Bashir Qureshi is one of them. He has continued to impress critics with his innovative art and unique sculptures and with this exhibition he left a positive impact on the audience. Even though it took him years to reveal his artwork, everything he had to offer was creative and a treat to view and we hope to see another exhibition from him soon.