Ali Abbas from Jamshoro, Sindh, is a sought after painter by the art Galleries. His most recent paintings and drawings which indicate maturity in line and use of colours were showcased at Ejaz Galleries, Lahore on December 22, 2011 until December 29; the diligent painter keeps painting all night which result in his solo show at Unicorn Gallery, Karachi on December 28’ 2011 before dismounting his exhibits from Ejaz Galleries. Marjorie Husain is a seasoned writer on art and has many books on art to her credit. She labels Abbas’s paintings and drawings as ‘Colours of Optimism”.
Husain, commenting on Abbas’s works writes: “The drawings and paintings of Ali Abbas convey realism portrayed with dignity and compassion. There is a touching simplicity in the delightful cameos he produces, often highlighted by carefully rendered areas of bright coloration. His subjects appear as transitory figures sheltering in temporary abodes, nomadic and wandering according to seasons and circumstances. Ali captures this phenomenon skillfully, yet the emotions evoked in the portrayals of mother and child images, can be likened to the feelings aroused in the Madonna works of the Byzantine era, an element of humanity that is shared through times and terrains.
“Gazing on Abbas’s work, the viewer enjoys the movement of the folk dancers composed of unbroken linear strokes, and in the painted works the brushstrokes are suggestive of dust storms or perhaps a symbol of the difficulties faced by the Nomadic tribes whose way of life is ageless.
“These are artworks in which light catches gleams of colour on a worn costume creating excitement and optimism in the drab surroundings. The artist details his subject with respect and compassion, the forms are graceful, the faces sensitively delineated, one discovers hands and feet faultlessly portrayed - the test of a true artist. In Ali Abbas’s work the focus on the subject conveys the essence of humanity which is universal.”
Marjorie Husain
(Abbas was introduced to the Karachi art scene by Alliance Francais de Karachi in 2002; it was a solo show titled Sindh Gypsies. His second solo show titled Gurd Baad was held at Chawkandi Art in 2005. Later, in 2007 at Chawkandi he displayed his paintings titled The Roots. He was given space as a solo artist at Afrand Art Gallery, Tehran and Ejaz galleries Lahore in 2008. Chawkandi Art hosted him in 2009. He was invited to Pakistan Embassy, Abu Dhabi and Ejaz Galleries Lahore for solo exhibitions in 2010.
Ali Abbas made himself known as a watercolour painter at his early exhibitions at home and abroad. Abbas has been experimenting with the medium. After his solo show at Alliance Francaise de Karachi in 2002, he worked with mixed media for his second solo exhibition at Chawkandi Art. That also was a drama of life in a desert in mixed media on paper. Abbas has focused on Thar as a bare reality. His palette is close to reality concentrating on sandy atmosphere and situations arising out of sand storm. The bright coloured dresses and amulets of women folk also remain under the spell of sand. In this aura Ali Abbas creates situations focused on living of the people against an ocean of sand.
With a Masters degree in Fine Arts from Jamshoro University, Sindh, Abbas became a teacher of Fine Arts in his Alma Mater in 1992 and remained there for ten years. He helped establish Department of Fine Arts at Iran Cultural Centre in Jamshoro, which is functioning till today. In between he came to Karachi and taught at the Central Institute of Arts and Crafts for one year. He has also worked in the Department of Architecture, Mehran University. Currently he is working as Assistant Professor, Department of Fine Arts, Centre of Excellence in Art and Design, Mehran University Jamshoro.)
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