Mona Naqsh’s exhibition An Ode To My Father opened on Tuesday at the Koel Gallery in Karachi. The show will continue until October 26, the timings for which would be 5pm to 8pm at the Koel Gallery, Karachi, Pakistan. “This series of drawings have been created in the profound memory of my dear father, Jamil Naqsh.
Through this humble series, I have tried to portray elements of our love and bond by incorporating my line of subject, flowers, with that of my father’s signature pigeons,” she said.
Mona Naqsh speaks the language of flowers. Her delicate blooms are Mona’s signature to the art world. Mona Naqsh’s art remains traditional and timeless. Her work’s organic energy translates the beauty of nature. Floral paintings have fascinated circles of art creativity for decades and to this day bring a delight to where ever they are placed.
“I want my paintings to create a warmth of space, a mood of joy and a thing of beauty.” Her present collection, a befitting ode to her father does just that.Mona’s paintings have a unique sensibility. Flowers provide a source of artistic inspiration for Mona and she paints them with devotion and intensity. Each painting creates a story of its own, it’s stillness showing a depth of thought and meaning. Like Mona said “Listen to the silence, it mirrors the truth,” and I feel beautiful art always speaks to you.
In Mona’s work, there is a silent yet strong tribute to her father. The presence of the pigeon, the amalgamation of textures and the importance of drawing transcends from the master artist Jamil Naqsh.
The intensity of observation was something that Mona’s father had instilled in her from a young age. He was a mentor in honing her painting techniques and all of Mona’s formal training was accomplished under his tutelage. In her current collection, Mona has blossomed in her own style, taking the best from her father but showcasing her unique mastery in the art of floral portraits. Floral composition grew in prominence in Europe in the 1600’s and reflected an urban class who associated art with a splendid lifestyle inspired by all the great impressionists; Renoir, Monet, Van Gogh and Picasso. Deeply impressed by the master painters; Mona Naqsh believes that you can see God in the beauty of flowers. Echoing the words of Chagall “I see God in every bunch of flowers.” Mona’s composition showcases an arrangement of flowers in vases the element of drawing evident in the relationship between the buds, the leaves and the pigeon. The addition of the pigeon in her work is her direct link to her father who was known for his love for painting pigeons.
The objects in her paintings portray the contrast between “real” and “unreal” fragile and strong and organic and artificial. Mona’s work has a certain synergy that transcends in the painting with moods and shades of light signifying different times of the day. The ingenious use of newsprint in black and white juxtaposed with color and translucent patterns create a strong background visual.
For me, Mona Naqsh’s art remains traditional and timeless.