Daily Times

The expressionist painter, Anum Ashraf is a Karachi-based visual artist whose work includes elements from nature, majorly trees and skies. The beautiful paintings by Anam Ashraf reflect the feeling of solace and tranquility; compelling the viewer to get immered in the colourful canvases. Having a very gentle and expressive nature, her work shadows her personality perfectly. Most of Ashraf’s work is in watercolours using fine brushes, and working on minor details, and her choice of colour speaks for itself.

The set of floral paintings by Ashraf are postcard-size wedding invitations, while the ‘Under the Foliage’ series and ‘Safe Haven’ are huge, paneled paintings of trees as viewed from a window. Sometimes there is foliage on them, and sometimes they are just barren branches and trunks. ‘Here and about 2016’ series is of a similar kind.

Ashraf’s pieces from ‘Architectura’ showcase colonial buildings from Karachi/Pakistan and Europe. If you see her work from Safe Haven and Residencia Spain ‘17, you are most likely to notice that it highlights her skills in depicting nature in its true essence. These beautiful canvases are a must-have in hotel lobbies, and lounges of homes.

‘Here, somewhere, up there’, is a surreal, dream-like, semi-abstract series, which revolves around loss, exploration, imagination and feelings expressed through different shades of blue, while the ‘Blue’ and ‘Let go’ is a depiction of seascapes from her imagination and is self-expressionism at its best.

The painting ‘Say cheese!’, exhibited in Albania, depicts a horse-carriage standing outside the colosseum, portraying its majestic aura. The title ‘Say cheese’ fits perfectly! Look out for the smiling horse and you’ll surely know why.

Here, Somewhere, Up There is a surreal, dream-like, semi-abstract series, which revolves around loss, exploration, imagination and feelings expressed through different shades of blue, while the Blue and Let Go series are a depiction of seascapes from her imagination and are self-expressionism at its best

‘Where what and how’ was a series exhibited at a group show at Sanat Art gallery, which spoke about the curiosity we all live with through our lives, be it about anything and everything, for humans continue to seek answers. Similar series called ‘Tranquilled sight’ was specifically painted for watercolour biennales in Pakistan and Italy.

And then, we surely can’t forget her unusual ‘Golf’ painting, which she did for watercolour biennale Bulgaria, showing a golfer hitting his best shot. Interestingly, human figures in her paintings are mostly just silhouettes with gestures or in action.

Above all, one of my favourites from all her works is ‘Them gone Mughal’. A quirky body of work painted in Persian miniature technique it shows the unique depiction of animated characters from all-time famous movies like Sullivan from Monsters Inc, ET, Yoda and Smurfs, cloaked in a Mughal theme. Really creative!

There are certain paintings that change one’s perception of art. Anum Ashraf’s body of work is among them. As in life, so in art: the world’s surface stirs with new life.

Art is all about communicating through images and colours, and Ashraf is adept at it. She has titled all her work and placed them in different categories or series as per their characteristics. Her portfolio is available online as well for those who are looking for something lively for their bare walls. Some of her best works are also available in art galleries of Karachi, for example the Canvas, The Sanat, Artkaam and Studio Seven.

Published in Daily Times, February 25^th 2019.