Koel Gallery

Faizan Riedinger
‘Terracotta’
2023
Ink, acrylic & balsa wood on canvas

From the exhibition ’Cognitive Constructs’, a solo show curated by Humayun Memon, continues until Jan 24.

“Staying true to his meditative style this show adds a new dimension to Faizan’s work as he explores thought, color and forms while serving as a testament to his journey as an artist.”
Excerpt from curatorial note by Humayun Memon for Faizan Riedinger’s Solo Show ‘Cognitive Constructs’ at KOEL Gallery, opening today.
Look forward to seeing you!

‘Cognitive Constructs’
Faizan Riedinger
Curated by Humayun Memon

“The artworks serve as metaphors for the cognitive structures we create to navigate the intricacies of individual and collective consciousness. I find fascination in the concept of compartmentalization - a psychological phenomenon that shapes our understanding of self, memory, and emotion.
My artistic exploration delves into the intricate bond between the conscious and unconscious, unraveling the layers that construct our inner worlds.”
Faizan Riedinger

Please join us on Wednesday, 10 January at 4pm, KOEL Gallery.

From Naveed Sadiq’s exhibition ’Mashq Dom’.
Slide 1&2 : Abu Fazl presenting Akbarnama i,ii,iii
Tea stain and natural pigment on Jaipuri wasli
2023

Mashq Dom - the second exercise by Naveed Sadiq

MASHQ DOM: The making of a manual.
The visual and textual sources are from the Badshah Nama, Akbar Nama and Ain-e-Akbari.
This is a studied account of Naveed Sadiq’s innate curiosity, a direct analysis stemming from his relentless excavation. This body of work encompasses detailed descriptions, thoughtful interpretation, insightful commentary, meticulous analysis, comprehensive evaluation, a condensed essence of his findings.
The drawings emerge from a process where Sadiq has delved deep into the invisible geometries. He shares with the audience his journey as a window into a soul on a quest.

Installation shots of the exhibition ‘Mashq Dom: the second exercise by Naveed Sadiq

Mashq-e-Tarhahn (i-xvi)
2023
Ink on paper
16 x 12 inches each

Series by Naveed Sadiq for Mashq Dom.

From the opening of ‘Mashq Dom’ by Naveed Sadiq.
Exhibition continues until January 5, 2024.sdq

Thank you all who came to the opening of ‘Mashq Dom - the second exercise’
Exhibition continues until Jan 5, 2024.sdq

Mashq Dom - 'the second exercise'.
Mashq (Practice/Exercise)
Dom (Second)

Mashq, means the physical rehearsal of an art form. In the context of the visual arts, such as calligraphy or painting, it is a process of refinement through repetition. The continuous practice to bond with the technique, helps to achieve mastery in the craft.

The act revealed elements that were balanced to translate and transform ideas into images and paved the way forward between contemporary questions and the spiritual realm.

"I deeply believe that the essence of Mashq in my work, will continue to be an integral component within the contemporary discourse on constructs that delve into ways that align the body, the mind and the spirit."
Naveed Sadiq

Join us on Thursday, 21 December at 4pm at KOEL Gallery.

From the exhibition: Identity Crisis
Shiblee Muneer
Dot to Drop - Revision No.6
Gold-leaf on black coated canvas, glazed with transparent resin
50 x 50 inches
2023

Please message for further information.

From the exhibition, IDENTITY CRISIS. Continues until December 16.

Shiblee Muneer was born in Jhang, in a family of artists, where miniature painting was practiced for centuries. Shiblee Muneer was born in Jhang, in a family of artists, where miniature painting was practiced for centuries.

Muneer’s great, great, grandfather, Ustad Allah Ditta founded the princely painting gharana at Patiala where the so-called ‘Pahari’ style of miniature painting developed
under his guidance. Ustad Allah Ditta’s grandson, and Muneer’s grandfather, Ustad Haji Mohammad Sharif (1889-1978) was a well-known painter in the Indian subcontinent and his fame was also international, through the UK’s India Society.

Shiblee Muneer followed the apprenticeship training in calligraphy and painting since an early age and studied at the Naqsh School of Arts and the Beaconhouse National University. He is a practicing artist, and is doing his Masters leading to Ph.D in studio practice at the University of Punjab. He conducts workshops for children in miniature painting.

Muneer carries his responsibility as the guardian of miniature painting tradition but finds inspiration in post-modernist philosophy and new techniques: computer graphics, digitally manipulated images, hyper realistic painting and collage. He experiments the rich, strict canons of miniature painting with contemporary techniques.

Please join us on 15th December 2023 at 5 pm to celebrate Afghan Refugee Artisans’ skills, and enjoy traditional Afghani music and tea.

Stunning range of products crafted by Afghan Artisans designed by Artisan Links, KOEL, Polly and Other Stories, Indus Heritage Trust and Pomegranate Seeds as part of their ongoing work under the Global MADE 51 Initiative.

MADE51 empowers refugee artisans through dignified work and promoting sustainable practices, bringing together the strengths of UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency and the World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO).

By supporting MADE51 Pakistan, you will help Afghan Artisans create a better future by improving their livelihoods and contribute to a global movement of ethical and fair trade practices.

Thank you all who came to the opening of ‘Identity Crisis’ by Shiblee Muneer.
Exhibition is open till 16 December, 11am till 7pm.

Please dm or email at [email protected] for further details.

Sana Habib has a background in art history and a diploma in the traditional arts from VMCTA. She is also a practicing psychotherapist.

“I discovered Islamic geometry as an art form very late in life, but as I delve into the exploration of patterns and pattern making I am beginning to understand that not only art, but life itself is guided by ratio and proportion. My struggles with pencil and paint brush stem from my inexperience with both, but my love for the colours and shapes of nature keeps bringing me back. Always aware that I am merely an instrument - relevant only to the moment in which I exist, open to whatever may manifest.”

From the exhibition Tasees, curated by Arshad Faruqui.
Please email at [email protected] or dm for more details.

Saman Ansari is a graduate of the National College of Arts, Lahore who went on to study the traditional arts from the VMCTA, Karachi, an outreach program by the Prince’s Foundation School of Traditional Arts, London. Saman works on traditional ceramics in gold and practices ‘Tezhip’ (illumination with gold), egg tempera and watercolor paintings.

“My work uses a singular pattern from makli that lies within a larger painting. Complete but somewhat disconnected, incorporating different elements from disparate sources - in the way that my own life contains memories of places and people across the many places I have lived. My work also explores my own abilities and limitations as someone who works with visual challenges. Traditional art requires a commitment to precision and perseverance that cannot be paralleled, even in digital art. My work is a reminder of the determination and persistence present in the human spirit. ”

From the exhibition TASEES, curated by Arshad Faruqui.

Please dm or email at [email protected] for more information

Mehrin Haseeb is a visual artist, with an MFA and a Diploma in traditional art. She is currently pursuing an MPhil in Art and Design at the Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture.

“The eight fold design motif used in my work is often referred to as the ‘Breath of the Compassionate.’ Within the contours of its lines there is movement, as if the geometry itself breathes. This, to me, is reminiscent of the circumambulations of the stars in the night sky. The shades of blue are familiar, cooling, resting - a gentle reminder of the kashikari indigenous to the region. My work explores the possibility of endless tessellations and connections in the journey towards the beloved. ”

Last day to view the exhibition TASEES, curated by Arshad Faruqui.

Please dm or email at [email protected] for further inquiries.

Mehrin Haseeb is a visual artist, with an MFA and a Diploma in traditional art. She is currently pursuing an MPhil in Art and Design at the Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture.

“The eight fold design motif used in my work is often referred to as the ‘Breath of the Compassionate.’ Within the contours of its lines there is movement, as if the geometry itself breathes. This, to me, is reminiscent of the circumambulations of the stars in the night sky. The shades of blue are familiar, cooling, resting - a gentle reminder of the kashikari indigenous to the region. My work explores the possibility of endless tessellations and connections in the journey towards the beloved.”
Text source: Mehrin Haseeb

Last day to view the exhibition TASEES, curated by Arshad Faruqui.

Please dm or email at [email protected] for further inquiries.

Up Next ✨

IDENTITY CRISIS, a solo exhibition by Shiblee Munir opens on December 5th.

Maryam Cheema has a Master's in Multimedia Arts from the National College of Arts and a Diploma in Traditional Arts from VM Centre for Traditional Arts, a PSTA, London outreach program. She is also a practising psychotherapist.

Maryam’s first love is ceramics, a medium she dedicates herself to through her porcelain line, Mary Pots.

“My artwork explores the profound concepts of life and death and the enduring legacies beyond the physical realm. It reinforces the concepts of life, death and what persists beyond our bodily existence. My ceramic installation "باقی Remains" bears witness to the language of the universe and the beauty of design. The art I produce encourages us to ponder the ephemeral nature of power and material possessions, raising questions regarding prioritising what is truly important.”
Text source: Maryam Cheema

Installation is on view for the exhibition Tasees until Nov 29.

Please email or dm for further information.

Khalifa Shujauddin is a visual artist with a traditional arts training background and twelve years plus of related work experience, including his time at the Visual Studies Department, Karachi University.
Shuja started working with wood when he was eight. Subsequently, wood has become his primary medium of expression and a springboard for experimentation in other media. .
“My artwork reflects upon the eclectic nature of geometric design and other motifs found at the Makli necropolis. I employ a range of media, to showcase an eclectic, synergized take on traditional geometry with a contemporary twist. My work attempts to reinvigorate techniques which are now less practiced, such as egg tempera and wood panel painting, in conjunction with gouache, water color and natural pigments. It also addresses the contemplative nature of the Makli necropolis through the symbolic use of color, texture, image and geometry. Blues, greens, and earthen tones feature prominently, representing contemplation, life, and death. The titles given to the artworks too are carefully considered prompt- ing the viewer to adopt a contemplative mood.”
Text by: Khaifa Shujauddin

Artworks from the exhibition Tasees by the Graduates of VM Centre of Traditional Arts.
Exhibition continues until Nov 29.

Please email or dm for further information.

In 2022, KOEL Gallery presented Mussarat Mirza’s retrospective, *“Har ja tu - In the realm of light,”* along with a comprehensive monograph.

It is with great care that KOEL shares today a third iteration of this project – the artist’s website.

In bringing the legendary painter’s lifework online, our intent has been threefold. For her art to be accessible within a mainstream viewing current. And within academic settings, for information on Mirza to be available to students. Finally for research, a tool inspiring further reflection on her oeuvre.

The website is also a meditative space. Its format dreams of slow time and intimate regard.

It honours Mirza – her journey with tasawwuf, on canvas – as an historic contribution to Pakistani art.

Please join us in this heartfelt moment.

Web link: mussaratmirza.com

Kaneez Fatima’s series of gouache on paper is part of TASEES exhibition.
Her work is inspired by, and rooted in, nature. She works with geometric motifs and the contrasts they inherently represent: life and death, growth and destruction, simplicity and complexity. Our lives are subsumed by patterns - they surround us physically, in all of the natural world, and they lay down the guiding principles for how our lives unfold, age to age, season to season. A seamless yet obvious movement from the shape of one moment to the next, observed, witnessed and experienced in the stroke of brush.

Exhibition continues until Nov 29.
Please email or dm for further information.

From the Opening of ‘Tasees’
a group show by the Graduates of VM Centre of Traditional Arts.

Exhibition continues until Nov 29.