Only an artist knows what he wishes to say through his work of art....
art
We all know that art is limitless. This is the reason why it welcomes every artist to share ideas with the general public. Knowing no boundaries, art is sometimes subjective. Only an artist knows what he wishes to say through his work of art. For instance, he travels to different places to portray his work and assess how his imagination is perceived by the locals.
Ambreen Qureshi grew up in Karachi, and after completing her high school from Karachi Grammar School went on to Moore College of Art and Design in Philadelphia where she graduated with a bachelors in Fine Arts. After graduation she moved to New York where she currently resides and works. Ambreen has been a part of several shows, exhibiting her work in Soho, NY, Huntington, the Art League of Long Island, North Shore Art Guild and most recently at the MCAD alumni curated show in Philadelphia. Recently, she brought herself back to Pakistan to exhibit one of her works in Karachi’s ArtChowk Gallery in Clifton.
While talking about her speciality and philosophy of art, the talented artist shares, “I have always been drawn to watercolours. Their unpredictability and spontaneity intrigue me. There is no room for error and it’s impossible to change what the brush intends, carrying me along a magical path. The colours have a life of their own, pushing the boundaries of imagination. Inspiration for my work comes from my travels, from the shapes and hues of nature, landscapes and the world around me. I want to be able to stir the soul and connect the viewer to the beauty and fluidity of the watercolour, taking us beyond our sight, deeper into the abstract”.
With her exhibition ‘Only from the heart can you touch the sky’- which was displayed from 3rd to 16th January, 2020 - Ambreen interestingly presents her beautiful depiction of nature. For instance, her painting ‘Qatr e Shabnam’ shows an impeccable sight of dews dripping in the river. Apart from nature, Ambreen also portrays the spirit of her birth place with an iconic sight in her painting ‘Do darya - Kolachi’. Ironically, she uses Karachi’s old name to go with the modernised version of the City of Lights. In ‘Bey tahammul’, she translates the state of chaos as it is very apparent in its name. It seems that Ambreen wants to empathise with Karachi’s pandemonium.
The artist’s work also depicts her grief for the ones who represented the city. ‘Mujh ko aksar udaas karti hai aik tasveer muskurati hui -Amjad Sabri’ is a beautiful and emotional account of the lost ones we once had around us.
With her exceptional work, Ambreen has a knack to name her paintings aptly. The use of Urdu language summarises the feel of her beloved city as the infamous Urdu saying goes ‘jesay angoothi main nageena’. She uses cold press archival paper and watercolours with bright hues that leave an everlasting impression on the minds of the spectators.
