AFRICA KENYA CREATIONS

Female Figure Complex

Artist Shahnawaz Zaidi

There are many things in life which directly strikes to our minds .why it happens? There are many reasons for this. The important thing is that why mind takes inspiration from its surroundings in life. Simply, the answer is that, man’s nature is made up of love, hatred and all kinds of emotions.

When God created man he used all kinds of clay like stones, mud and sand so man’s nature is full of all emotions and his mind works according to surroundings which alerts his sensation.

Like wise when we take a look at our surroundings, our minds become gets alert at once and starts thinking quickly about the sight, but some people have God gifted quality of converting their imagination on the canvas. It’s an artist who can observe the things in his surroundings with naked eye and has the quality to convert it on canvas in the form of painting. That is not just a painting but a collection of one’s minds inspiration, sensation, emotions, eye view, and imagination.

HASSAN SHAH NAWAZ  ZAIDI

There are many talented and magnificent artists in Pakistan. Shahnawaz Zaidi is one of them.

Shah Nawaz zaidi born in 21 may, 1948.He has eleven siblings. His child hood spends in small city of Pakistan Mandibhawaldin. In his times he used to study at home and after fifth standard he joined corporation school. In his child hood he used to sketch on his note books and often punished by his teachers.

 In his college life He was fond of reading literary books and than shared with others. Music was his first passion but due to some family restrictions he did not take some special training for it. He used to inspire from drawings of his elder sister Arjumend shaheen and photography of his father. He did his MFA in graphic design in visual communication 1968 from university of the Punjab Lahore. He joined Punjab University as a teacher in 1984. He did not attend any painting and sculpture class but he loves to do painting. His teacher Anna Molka suggested him to do Mfa in designing because of the bad economical condition of painters that time. He never planned his life and enjoyed all the fields of arts. He is a designer, poet, painter, actor, compare, singer, music composer, administraror and director. He also wrote the plays and directed it and also performed in it.

Hassan Shah Nawaz Zaidi has a very sensitive out look so it is at the highest point where he stands to depict his observation which he derives through imaginations with his naked eye he observes things in his surroundings and converts it on his canvas to form a painting. We arrive at the conclusion that opinion is of the world presented to the senses, where as knowledge is of a super sensible eternal world, so opinion is concerned with beautiful things but knowledge is concerned with beauty in it.

·        Hassan Shah Nawaz Zaidi reaches to the knowledge of beauty through the sensitivity of perception, and to the vision of truth any one who has done any kind of creative work has experienced, in a greater or less degree, the state of mind in which, after a long labor, truth as beauty appears, it may be only about a small matter, or it may be about the universe. The experience is at a moment, very convincing. Most of the best work in art and in literature has been the result of such a moment. To the modern concept empirical knowledge is dependent upon or derived from perception.

No doubt artist views reality through imagination. He is not supposed to record moments or expressions as they are accorded, he depicts how he feels them.

  Shah Nawaz Zaidi thoughts move around the beauty of society and nature. A common person wants to see beautiful objects and an artist searches beauty in an object with in itself. So that the former has an opinion about beauty and the later has the knowledge of beauty.

We arrive at the conclusion that opinion is of the world presented to the senses, where as knowledge is of a super sensible eternal world so opinion is concerned with beautiful things and knowledge is concerned with beauty in an object.

 He reaches to the knowledge of beauty through the sensitivity of perception and the vision of truth. Any one who has done any kind of creative work has experienced, in a greater or less degree, the state of mind in which, after a long labor, truth of beauty appears.

POET

 Shah nawaz Zaidi’s priorities reflect the tradition of Sufism. He translated the poems of Tigor, which was rewarded with Nobel Prize. He translated the poems in the verses, not prose. It is simply tribute to a great poet and seems like how Mian Muhammad Bukhsh admired Hashim sttatt in his great Legend of Saif ul malook.

·        Hashim shah de hashmast barket gashroch na awy

Dar yateen jawahar laryan zahir kad layaway.

The main points can be many which made Shah Nawaz Zaidi in “Geetan jalie” but one thing is quite common between both. Tigor and Shah Nawaz Zaidi that is sympathy for society and nature.

One will find it when one will study his “Aiana Dar”. This collection of poetry is entirely based on social aspects.

 

PORTRAITS Portrait can be considered as his favorite subject in painting. He painted many portraits of historical personalities, such as

·        Umar khayam

·        Abu baker zakriya al Razi

·        Wali uddin bin khaldum

·        Professor Rynold A. Nicholson

·        Quaid e azam

These portraits are displayed permanently in the lobby of Awan-e-iqbal complex. These portraits have been executed in rich Flemish style. Various influences of styles and techniques are the main character of his painting career.

  Chiaroscuro effect is delicately depicted like Rubens. Background is dark but not smooth, illusionary with colors and dramatic light. Life size figures have been painted and placed little off centered unlike gothic traditions.

    All the portraits emphasize on the characters and make one’s eye travel to the blink of light in the eyes of person. The parts of paintings which are away from the face painted with less detail as much away they are from the focal point as less detail is depicted. The technique of painting is applied with free and curved brush strokes. Thick over thin paint is applied with bold and confined brush strokes. Texture of the skin and drapery is controlled with same manner, effect and impact is entirely different.

   The quality of strokes, colors and soft outline of the form are the subjected characters of these portraits. In every portrait figure has been painted along with hands to create movement and builds strong pyramid composition.

The mood is highly concerned in these portraits, quick and frequent strokes are applied and repeated strokes have been avoided- like the others works sir Zaidi played harmony and repetition of color with signature. It reflects his individuality in art.

MODERN TECHNONOGY

He has deep analyses about social behavior. Most of the time people give priority to sciences instead of art. To him art and science walk together to modernize a society. Science makes us to signify mass and art builds wisdom. So a productive personality can be produced by art itself.

 In his one of his poems he mention, the squares of matrix womp censor an image on TV, to criticize usage of modern technology.

 

 

 

PAINTING

There is very certain influence of the beginning of ancient contribution in knowledge over his entire work. The usage of geometrical shapes in his paintings and poetry refers us to the historical achievements of ancient civilization. Greeks appears clearly in mathematics which they learned by the Babylonians. What they did in art, literature and philosophy was good but what they did in geometry is out of question. They derived some thing from Egypt and less from Babylonian.

·        The art of mathematical demonstration was almost Greek in origin.

 

When he uses any geometrical shape in his painting it simply gives us a hint of his awareness about the beginning of philosophy. Many of the abstract expressionists used such a shapes in their works. Because they were educated in philosophy and they used these geometrical shapes in their paintings.

·        He pointed the importance of symbolic elements in painting even the simple words can be used by artist in paintings for the addition of concept. So it is quite clear that concept in an art work is most necessary substance. Even an art critic must has to find that what is depicted in the painting by artist, if there is some misunderstanding about the subject of the art work then it must be acquired by artist to make it more certain to signify his imaginations. 

·        It leads us to the point that simply recording a moment or nature is the basic academic practice while the art education makes artist to speak through the elements of art.

·        In a conceptual art, artist has to express him self through art and art should be explained by the artist. The conceptual art is very much important to be produced. Only the modern western styles are not enough to present concept even a thought can be painted through traditional ways. It is not required in which style concept is painted but how it is depicted, whether modern or traditional way. Because of modern symbolic painting styles, it is thought that the concept can only be painted correctly. But according to Hassan shah nawaz zaidi it is not convincing notion. He gives freedom to artist to paint a theme in any style, modern or traditional.

 

The true element of the material world, timaeus says are not earth, air, fire and water but two sorts of right angled triangles, the one which is half a square and the one which is half an equilateral triangle. “The various elements had different places before they were arranged so as to form the universe. But than God fashioned them by form and number and made them as far as possible fairest and best out of things which were not fair and good.”

It leads us to the point that simply recording nature or view is the basic practice while the art education makes artist to speak through colors.

Artist has to express him self through art and art should be explained by the artist.

The importance of conceptual art is very much needed to be produce. Only the modern western styles are not enough to present a concept, even a thought can be painted through traditional ways. It is not required in which way a concept is painted but how it is depicted; it does not mean the technique. Because of modern symbolic painting styles, it is thought that the concept can only be painted through it; Hassan Shah Nawaz Zaidi is not convinced by such a nation. He gives freedom to artist to paint a theme in any style whether it is modern or traditional.

Like the artist of the Italian Renaissance Shah Nawaz Zaidi worked with talent in all the four field of art of beauty. So it is the solid evidence praise beauty, and tenderness. His different works show different influences and mood.

In the historical portraits Flemish style has great influence over his work. When he paints female figure and portraits, he seems to be inspired by the French impressionist. His illustrations have mood like American illustrations. His bold expression has the quality like New York school.

Some time he paints like Durmier Curved, moving long strokes and complex and dramatic composition. His painting with pastels signifies oriental interest.

 

 

PAINTING OF WOMEN

  A female seated figure is painted, with a book. A geometrical symbol is added in this painting. By this we can say that the painter wants to emphasize on women’s interest in knowledge in his painting. To analyze this painting we must reveal the objective and subjective values to reach a certain conclusion.

 

 

PSYCHOLOGICAL INFLUENCE

·        Magic is the image is so strong that it catches the viewer’s attention and makes him to think about the fascinating female figure and complicated subject of knowledge.

·        Rule of iconography has been broken, by placing the figure little away from the centre and cutting the feet deliberately from the frame.

·        A philosophical symbol is used in the painting that is an angle of 90% is used as a seat for the model’

This 90% angel was discovered by the Babylonians. It is the first geometrical shape done by man and considered to be the beginning of knowledge. So it is historically linked with philosophy adding appears, it may be only about a small matter or it may be about the universe. The experience is at a moment very convincing. Most of the best work in art and in literature as been the result of search a moment. To the modern concept empirical knowledge depends upon or derived from perception.

 

 

Sculpture

       His concept about the difference between an idol and sculpture is very inspiring. The rule is very simple like Marques Aquintes said that only simplicity gives us passage to conclusion, idols are to be worshiped and sculpture is not to be. Any three dimensional shape is called a sculpture, a chair, a table even a building can be considered as a sculpture. He verifies many ways of idol worshiping, some people worship their desires, some worship power and capital and some worship icons.

 So these kinds of misleading ways of worshiping must be detained for a better society. Only the blame for a sculpture is not suitable for moral ethics and it is a narrow and negative criticism on art.

 

About the Author

Qualification: Masters in Fine Arts from UCAD PU.
Exhibitions:
1 Participated in Painting exhibition at cultural centre of Islamic republic of Iran-Lahore for Shalimar hospital deserving patients (7th july,2008)
2 Participated in Fresh Cream young artist exhibition in Alhamra art Council. (2008)
3 Exhibition in Royat Art Gallery. (2007)
4 Participated in young artist exhibition in Alhamra Art Council. (2007)
5 Participated in Spring Festival Painting Competition arranged by Alhamra Art Permanent Art Gallery (2007)
6 Thesis display at Ana Molka Art Gallery. ( 2007)
7 Exhibition in Copera Art Gallery. (2007)
8 Participation in University Of Engineering & Tech. Painting Competition (2007)
RESEARCH EXPERIENCE:
• Research work on “Shah Nawaz Zaidi” an Artist (On his complete art work) for College of Art and Design Punjab University 2007
• Research work for Lok Virsa “Traditional and Cultural Food of Lahore” 2007

contact: sehrishchauhdary819@hotmail.com