The phrase “mind’s eye” refers to the human ability to visualise, that is, to experience visual mental imagery. In other words we are referring to one’s ability to “see” things with the mind. The third eye (also called the mind’s eye or the inner eye) is a spiritual and somewhat arcane concept referring to a speculative invisible eye which provides perception beyond ordinary sight: a gateway leading to inner realms and spaces of higher consciousness. The third eye is the extension of what the mind knowingly perceives.
Imagine the table where you’ve eaten the most meals. Form a mental picture of its size, texture, and colour. Easy, it would seem? But when you summoned the table in your mind’s eye, did you really see it? Or did you assume we’ve been speaking metaphorically?
Soraya Sikander’s work is associated with travel, belonging, memory and association. In her new series of works called “Inscape”, the artist presented a new series of nature-based oil paintings at the Unicorn Gallery in Lahore.
Bare Tree 1 - 15.5 x 15.5 inches - oil on canvas
She believes natural life is there to stay, and so instead of depicting terrorism and death - both themes ever prevalent in her country - she chooses to depict nature flourishing. Hence her inspiration comes from the stunning landscapes and seascapes that she witnesses. She paints places and cities as a means of narration or storytelling.
This series of works was painted by the artist between her various travels to Lahore, Karachi, Dubai, Hague and London. So it won’t be wrong to label her work as a travelogue. At one level, the works originate from the artist’s personal experiences, as these paintings allude to actual locations. But at another level, we all have witnessed these moments - these changing landscapes - at different times and places.
For instance, one of her works, titled Sunset, is a simplified depiction of an instance that we all have experienced in the natural world - a time when the sun goes down in the horizon. Perhaps it’s the feeling of witnessing a unique event that draws us in. The constantly evolving nature of the light reacting with the clouds and weather conditions may be an event that occurs each and every day of our lives, but one that will never quite be the same as any other. Soraya’s Sunset is unique, poetic and exaggerated - and it possesses a mystical and transcendent quality. It perfectly portrays the phenomenon of the sun drowning in the endless sea, making a magnificent prospect with its colours going from red to orange, then a mixture of warm, dreamy colours like indigo. The purple drippings in the foreground, added to this amazing painting of Mother Nature, seem to be protecting the piece of art. And that is, in fact, the moment captured by the third eye!
Sunset - 36 x 48 inches - oil on canvas
Soraya's Sunset is unique, poetic and exaggerated - and it possesses a mystical and transcendent quality
Another splendid oil-on-canvas from the show was Mangroves, an exploration of the Karachi landscape as visualised by the mind’s eye - a landscape capturing the very ‘is-ness’ of being at a place. The piece depicts the nature of the city itself: its unpredictability when it comes to the lives of its residents and the political atmosphere around them. And this is complimented by the formal aspects of the work, such as the dark blue hues - giving it a gloomy, dejected and quiet feel. Hence it powerfully comments on the contradictory nature of such places with Karachi as a reference - alluding to the main aspects of life, such a birth, growth, reproduction and death.
Other small and round canvases were also part of the show - again a formal reference to the “third eye”, representing a state of enlightenment or awakening, which appears to have deeply personal, spiritual and psychological significance for the artist. Consider, for instance, a fascinating piece titled Fusion, where she depicts blooming multicoloured flowers using thick and uninhibited strokes. Her love for nature, the source of life, comes through once again in this work, through her use of colour, light and texture.
Two other intriguing pieces were Bare Tree 1 and Bare Tree 2. Leaves are signs that efforts to reach out are successful, since leaves growing mean that the tree is reaching out to the sun and obtaining its sustenance. Thus, a lack of leaves could mean feeling barren, dejected and lacking ambition: in both a personal and a collective sense (as a society). Leaves detached from the branches mean that the nurturing we get is not very predictable.
It would appear that the artist enjoys the rich quality of oil paints as well as the fact that one can develop mood and dramatic lighting through their use – all of which are apparent in her work.
