Women have been a symbol of hope, peace and innocence in the arts. A woman, with nature-based objects around her, makes for an honoured theme that hints at hope and resilience.

A two-person show at the Art Chowk Gallery by Sana Nezam and Saba Haroon is a narrative of something similar. The show consists of a number of pleasant paintings in which the artists have emphasised the feminine element according to their understanding and perceptions.

Saba Haroon has highlighted various characteristics of females in her work. However, her images whirl around the notion of how hope moves all of us. She takes an example of a Japanese girl, Sadako Sasaki, who survived for 10 years after the Hiroshima Nagasaki bombings. She folded 1,000 origami cranes before her death to make a wish to live. In the Japanese culture, it is believed that these paper cranes carry souls up to the paradise where the gods grant the wishes of their makers. The images created by Haroon capture Sasaki’s spirit and have a similar depth. The subtle colours are soothing to the eyes and the images are lined as pages in a book. Her use of colour enhances the theme of her oeuvre which is hope and faith.

The female figures that the artist has painted show people in various attires, places and surroundings. However, the red origami crane is present in all of these. In one painting, titled Orenda, the woman’s face is covered with a net embellished shawl as she looks in an undefined direction. The title suggests that there is an inherent spiritual energy in people and environment. She holds a red origami crane whose golden string covers her hand like a jewel or a thread.

Haroon has produced the images in resin art technique that fills her canvas with delight, letting the viewer see through the canvas and glimpse the open skies and oceans.

She emphasizes the qualities of hope and patience that motivate individuals in difficult times. The colours, contrast and composition lighten up the mood. It appears as if everything is gathering at one place to produce certain energy to make things happen. There is something magical to her work.

On the other hand, Sana Nezam’s glitzy work suggests that women’s existence moves in a circle like a clock that ticks the same number every time but brings something new and pleasant. She has strength to nurture, give birth and transform. Nezam speaks about various visions of woman’s existence. Nezam’s paintings have layers of colours on canvas to bring out fantastic images. In these one can find traces of affection and connection between humans and nature. Her preoccupation with bougainvillea leaves is a recurring theme.

Bougainvillea leaves are a year-round floral fiesta; so are women: tolerant, patient, fresh and colorful. They can grow effortlessly in all kinds of conditions and in any season. This plant is considered a symbol of peace and harmony for two entities and depicts freedom. The artist has beautifully incorporated it in her work with women and fused it with female attributes.

Her layering technique adds texture and depth to the work. This has been an interesting side of Nezam’s work. The layers delineate foreground from the background and the image develops with the layers.

Her women appear to be shedding a skin and developing a new one or wearing the canvas. The artist has cleverly created the effect with her use of the layering techniques. In one of her pieces, titled Goddess of magic, a lady seems to be emerging on the canvas. This goddess sets herself like a lotus on the mud. She seems relaxed and wears a golden masquerade. To add the notion of seeing women as a circle, a small circle is drawn on her left and a large one with a golden butterfly on her right.

The writer is a freelance journalist based in Karachi