Waqas Khan: The Dots Travel Full Circle

From hosting his first ever solo show in 2008 in Karachi, Waqas Khan is back with a series of paintings titled ‘Transcendental Introspection’ – an art project commissioned by a major local bank. The word ‘practice’ is what intrigued me as one cannot fit his work into a single category. He is a printmaker, a miniaturist, has dabbled in the field of performance art and tried his hand at architecture, while enrolled as a student at the renowned National College of Arts (NCA), in Lahore. He hails from Akhterabad in Okara where he lived till he was 17. There he literally lived a ‘simple village life’ where manual labour was prevalent and where parents could only see their children opting for being an engineer or a doctor.

Waqas struggled as an art student at the NCA as he whiled away his time there as art students often do the world over. Making marks with a pen used by architects, with permanent ink, leaving no room for mistakes gave peace and direction to this restless soul. It calmed him down and he carved his way into making a name for himself internationally first, before gaining local fame. Commenting on himself and his work, he says he wants his work to engage with ‘the person on the street as well as the person in the penthouse.’ Being a good listener, he is humble enough to recognize that he is still learning his craft and that he is open to learn from anyone.

He plays with an abstract matrix of dots that ripple and furl and create impactful images, forcing the viewer to become a performer. I viewed the displayed work more than thrice. Each time it spoke to me differently. Repetitive marks made on the life-like canvas are akin to knitting, his large posture getting in rhythm with the dots and the lines in sync with his breathing. It’s fascinating stuff. Each piece is first made in miniature form before it is replicated on canvas. He sees his art as ‘political,’ derived from his observation of contemporary local environments, yet it has a universal appeal as well. His most compelling work is the white on white where the viewer is compelled to observe the work closely to discover the lines and patterns. His work evokes rhythm, empathy and understanding in a deeply polarized world. It is almost as if he is trying to confine his emotions and feelings on canvas. Although, it is hard, manual labour consuming months, the artist feels no fatigue while making these pieces. The pieces force the viewer to have a conversation with themselves and each person takes away something different. The lights, the mood, the placement of his work and the colours used are well thought out, as Waqas likes to get the feel of the space in which he exhibits much before he starts work on the pieces. Multiple interpretations from the viewer is the secret of success behind his work as he wants his audience to navigate various possibilities while discovering themselves in the process.